The British exsindicalist Guy Ryder was elected Monday CEO of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Juan Somavia of Chile’s replacement, announced the agency.
Ryder, 56, whose term will formally begin in October, was elected after six ballots, by 30 votes in favor of the 56 members of the Governing Body of the ILO (28 government representatives, 14 employers and 14 of workers).
The British, already number two in the organization, replacing the Chilean Juan Somavia, 71, who has led the organization in Geneva for 14 years.
The British candidacy was presented on 8 March by Michael Sommer and Luc Cortebeeck, working group members of the Governing Body of the ILO and competed with eight other candidates, four European, three Africans, one Asian and Colombian Angelino Garzon .
Since 2010, Ryder held the position of Deputy Director of the ILO and was in charge of the Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
He has made much of his career in the international arena.
Between 2006 and 2010, led the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) which brings together 157 national federations in Brussels. At the head of CSI, directed the first international trade union delegations G20 summits in Washington and London in 2008 and Pittsburgh in 2009.
Between 2002 and 2006, led the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in Brussels.
London was where he took his first steps as a union leader, as department assistant International Trades Union Congress (1981-1985).
After he settled in Geneva, where he served as secretary of the industry section of the International Federation of Employees (1985-1988) before becoming deputy director (1988-1993) and director (1996-1998) of the Geneva office of the CISL.
Ryder, born in Liverpool (GB) in 1956, studied at the universities of Cambridge and Liverpool.
The ILO has 184 member countries, of which 10 have a permanent seat on the Board of Directors. They are Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States.