25 October, 2011In a statement to the G20 leaders meeting in Cannes on November 3-4 the Global Unions assert that good jobs are the only successful recipe for recovery and sustainable growth, that employment creation must be placed at the centre of macro-economic policies and fiscal policy adjusted to support growth and employment creation.

2 December, 2011Bargaining resulted in wage increases of 31% for the 200 workers at General Motors East Africa. The agreement was welcomed by both parties.

2 December, 2011The Metalworkers' Union of Piracicaba, affiliated to Força Sindical, has just concluded a new collective agreement with Caterpillar management resulting in improved purchasing power and benefits for workers.

1 December, 2011The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) signed a Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with Petróleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, the world's third largest energy company.

1 December, 2011Hundreds of thousands of workers descended on the streets in Batam in the Indonesian Riau Islands province known for its free trade zone, demanding decent minimum wages. They were met with rubber bullets and tear gas.

1 December, 2011ICEM's Congress in Buenos Aires unanimously approves the creation of a new global union organization in June 2012. Senzeni Zokwana is re-elected President and Manfred Warda General Secretary.

11 November, 2011The ArcelorMittal and union Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) visited the Polish steel plant in Dabrowa Gornicza.

10 November, 2011The São Paulo city and Mogi das Cruzes metalworkers' union has reached agreement with four employer groups on a pay rise. The São Paulo State Metalworkers' Federation is trying to extend the agreement to all metalworkers in the state.

17 November, 2011ITUA - the Russian Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers aims to organize autoworkers in the rapidly expanding auto cluster around Saint-Petersburg.

16 November, 2011The Asia-Pacific region is the largest manufacturing hub of the world, with considerable presence of metal industries. The IMF South Asia office now issues its own magazine, the Metal Asia Pacific.