The Confederation of Vocational Unions is a national trade union center

National trade union center

A national trade union center is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a single country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. When there is more than one national center, it is often because of ideological differences—in some...

, an umbrella organization

Umbrella organization

An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...

 of labour union

Trade union

A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

s in Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

.

It was established in 1977 as a non-partisan alternative to the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions

Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions

The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...

 (LO). As at 2009 it had about 215,000 members. It is a member body of the International Trade Union Confederation

International Trade Union Confederation

The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...

, the European Trade Union Confederation

European Trade Union Confederation

The European Trade Union Confederation is a trade union organization which was established in 1973 to represent workers and their national affiliates at the European level....

, the Council of Nordic Trade Unions and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD.

Leaders have been Egil Sandberg (1977–1981), Eldri Langåker

Eldri Langåker

Eldri Langåker is a Norwegian trade unionist.She worked in Televerket from 1962 to 1987, but had a long trade union career. From 1973 to 1979 she was deputy leader of the trade union Kvinnelige Telegraf- og Telefonfunksjonærers Landsforening, and from 1979 to 1981 she was the leader. She led the...

 (1981–1986), Gunnar Caspersen

Gunnar Caspersen

Gunnar Caspersen was a Norwegian trade unionist.He started his career as a union representative in the bank Den norske Creditbank, and became informational secretary in Norske Bankfunksjonærers Forbund in 1965. In 1979 he became secretary-general. He was deputy leader of the Confederation of...

 (acting, 1986–1987), Jan Andersen-Gott

Jan Andersen-Gott

Jan Andersen-Gott is a Norwegian naval officer and trade unionist.He was born in Vågå, and lives at Jarmyra. He took his education at the Norwegian Naval Academy and the Sjøforsvarets stabsskole, worked as an active naval Commander before being secretary of Sjømilitære Samfund and the naval...

 (1987–1993), Eva Bjøreng

Eva Bjøreng

Eva Bjøreng is a Norwegian trade unionist.She was born in Notodden. She started her career in banking, became a union representative in Kreditkassen and became a leading figure in the Finance Sector Union of Norway. From 1993 to 1996 she led the Confederation of Vocational Unions, and from 1996 to...

 (1987–1993), Randi Bjørgen

Randi Bjørgen

Randi Bjørgen is a Norwegian trade unionist.A biological engineer by profession, she led the Kommunale Funksjonærers Landsforbund from 1987 to 1996, and from 1996 to 2006 she led the Confederation of Vocational Unions.-References:...

 (1996–2006), and Tore Eugen Kvalheim (2006–present).