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Harmonised ETQ&C
Most affected were more recent members of IIW which were in the process of
starting up or establishing an IIW ANB in their own country. This resulted in submissions
to the IIW Board of Directors from a number of members who were concerned at the
running of alternative ETQ&C programmes in their countries by another member of IIW. In
comparison, other IIWmembers were of the opinion that competition legislation introduced
after the IIW IAB scheme had started should allow the expansion of ETQ&C of welding
personnel into countries where open markets permit.
Later, the awareness of the possibility of legal action being taken against both IIW
and EWF regarding contravention of competition legislation became of increasing concern.
The IIW Board of Directors and the IIW IAB then went through an exhaustive legal process
to look at options to those that were in existence at that time. These options required
either changing the IIW IAB relationship structure or, alternatively, revising the rules and
operating procedures to improve compliance with international competition legislation.
26
In recognition of the legal complexities involved, the IIW Board of Directors then issued a
mandate to a special IIW IAB Working Group B1+, in 2015, to review the IIW IAB’s rules
and operating procedures regarding competition legislation.
The Working Group was to use its broad-ranging expertise to identify
the rules and procedures that may be affected by the need for compliance
with current legislation. Outstanding work was done by this Working Group
in defining and understanding the detail of international compliance.
As a result, IIW sought cooperation from EWF to ensure that both organisations
were aligned with one another in deciding the best course of action to take.
27
In parallel
with this, the IIW Board of Directors expended a considerable amount of effort and time
to investigate a broad range of alternative structural systems without success. Ultimately,
it was agreed to continue to meet the requirements of competition legislation through the
proposed amendments to the rules, guidelines and other appropriate IIW documentation.
Inviewing, to some extent, the earlier years of IIW’s involvement
in ETQ&C, Ahrens, as Chair of IIW IAB Group A was rewarded for
his efforts by being reappointed for a further term of office in 2004.
On this occasion he was to say, ‘The job of Chairman of IIW’s
IAB Group A is, from the personal view, easy because all group
members have the same aim to improve the international education
and training system in welding’.
28
Ahrens was to continue in
the role of Chair of IIW’s IAB Group A for a further six years
until he retired in 2011. Mr James Guild (South Africa) was
also a long-serving Chair of IIW’s IAB Group B and, after
retiring from this position a few years later, played an equally
effective role later as the Chair of the IIW IAB 2014-2017.
Jim Guild