Following the recent Extraordinary Congress of our Italian Section, USI, an article appeared on that organization’s webpage which could be misleading and which forces us to write a clarification. USI is calling for a “refoundation Congress of the IWA”, to be held parallel to the regular IWA Congress in December 2016. Such an event, called outside of the IWA statutory procedures, would have no relation to the International Workers' Association and constitutes an illegitimate use of its name.

In the past, the Italian Section condemned the illegitimate use of the initials IWA (or AIT). Two decades ago, when USI split and the split faction tried to claim the name USI-AIT, the IWA clearly said that only the part of USI which conformed to our principles and which was recognized by the IWA Congress could use the initials of our federation, the IWA (also known by its English and Spanish acronyms, IWA-AIT). Throughout the years, USI has asked the IWA Secretariat and the Sections to defend it against the split faction usurping its name and we have always done this. The reason behind this is natural: only those which belong to the IWA (or IWA-AIT), who are recognized and comply with the statutes and duties of member Sections (ie, paying dues) should use the name. All others only mislead if they claim they are part of this federation they in fact don’t belong to.

Now things look quite different. USI, is calling for a split Congress, to coincide with the legitimate and statutory Congress of the IWA; it is usurping the name of the International Workers' Association and this may mislead other people and organizations. This use of the IWA or AIT initials is just as illegitimate as the use of the initials USI-AIT by the organization that split from it.

Only the Congress of the International Workers’ Association can decide if it would like to hold an Extraordinary Congress and the regular Congresses are established in the statutes. No single organization or faction of organizations can convene a Congress by themselves in accordance with the Statutes of the IWA.