The IDC bodies are organised as follows:
General Assembly of representatives from member organisations.
This is the most powerful body of the IDC, and meets every 2 years to decide on the general guidelines of the organisation and elect its representatives. Each member organisation has one vote, regardless of the number of workers represented. However, if a decision needs to be taken, each delegate will have a number of votes equivalent to the number of workers that they represent with a maximum of 6,000 per organisation in order to prevent dominance or poor representation.
For cases in which it is necessary to consider subjects exclusively and specifically.
Assemblies are held in each Zone once a year by the affiliated unions from each zone. They deal with the situation of the ports and workers, and are responsible for producing and debating the documents which are subsequently passed on to the General Assembly or the Permanent Commission. They elect the Zone Co-ordinators who are subsequently ratified by the General Assembly.
The IDC is organised geographically, and so far the following zones have been created - the East Coast of North America and Canada, the United States West Coast and the Pacific Rim, Latin America, Europe and Africa. The ZCOs are responsible for co-ordinating regional disputes and the IDC's involvement in them.
This post represents the IDC and the GCO's leadership must follow the directives and guidance decided upon by the General Assembly, which is the body that elects this office.
The Permanent Commission co-ordinates the IDC's general operations. It is made up of the ZCOs, together with the GCO and it is the intermediate body between the GCO and the affiliated unions. Furthermore, to reinforce the representative and democratic commitment of the IDC, the holder of any post may be removed from office at any time by the organ that designated him/her.