The members of industriAll Europe’s Executive Committee today appointed Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès as Deputy General Secretaries in their virtual meeting. Isabelle Barthès and Judith Kirton-Darling are the first women to join the leadership of the organisation. They are joining Luc Triangle, who remains in place as General Secretary and Michael Vassiliades, who continues as President of industriAll Europe.

Judith Kirton-Darling was a British Member of the European Parliament (May 2014 - January 2020) and prior to this held the elected position of ETUC Confederal Secretary. Judith also built European trade union experience both in EMCEF and EMF where she worked as policy adviser. 

Isabelle Barthès joined the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) in 1996. As EMF and later industriAll Europe senior policy adviser she was responsible for a range of key policy areas, notably company policy as well as collective bargaining and social policy. 

Judith Kirton-Darling:
“We are potentially on the brink of the deepest economic crisis since the 1930s. Never has the need for a strong, unified worker voice in Europe been more urgently needed. Industrial workers are the backbone of our labour movement and industriAll Europe must meet the challenges posed by this pandemic and the deeper economic changes underway. As a European Brit, I recognise that it will only be through greater solidarity between working people that we will achieve this in the coming difficult times. With 15 years’ experience in the European trade union movement, and 6 years in the European Parliament representing a manufacturing heartland, I hope that my skills and experience will help the collective effort.”

Isabelle Barthès:
“Before the outbreak, the green and the digital transformation were major challenges we identified for industrial workers. Not only are these challenges still present, we now also have to face the worst global economic crisis since the 1930’s. As long as the pandemic is not under control, there will be a great deal of uncertainties for workers and companies. Protecting the health and the life of workers at the workplace and protecting their jobs is our priority. It is essential that the recovery plans, whether they are national or European, support workers and not only companies. Supporting workers’ income, but also preparing them for post pandemic times and tomorrow’s world of work through training and re-training will be main tasks in the coming months and years. In my new capacity, I want to use my knowledge and experience of our organisation to support workers getting through this crisis and defend their democratic rights.” 

CV’s Isabelle Barthès and Judith Kirton-Darling

Contact: Andrea Husen-Bradley, press and communication