Robert is the HR Professional for his organization and he's speaking with the federation chairman about the labor and the direction of unions. What is a federation?

A federation is an umbrella organization that groups together multiple national unions under one coordinating body. It does not directly represent workers but rather supports and coordinates the activities of its member national unions, as seen with the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations).

A federation is not the same as a union - a union directly represents workers in collective bargaining, while a federation is an association of multiple national unions.

A union with international members is typically called an international union, not a federation - the distinction is structural, not geographic.

A federation does not govern individual unions - member unions retain their autonomy; the federation serves as a coordinating and advocacy body.