IIW History 1990-2015

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

Harmonised ETQ&C