15 September, 2011Fujitsu workers launch a 24 hour strike in Manchester and Crewe over pay disputes and discrimination against a union representative.

15 September, 2011On August 27-28 the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) and the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW) held a workshop in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, for union activists from an array of plants in the region.

14 September, 2011A first-of-a-kind collective agreement took root in Germany's solar energy manufacturing industry on 1 September. It was then that a labour contract took effect between IG Metall and three subsidiaries of Bosch in the state of Thuringia, making it the first collective agreement in Germany's solar power industry.

13 September, 2011TVT is a television channel run by the ABC Metalworkers Union, affiliated to the CNM/CUT. TVT is the first trade union television channel in Brazil.

13 September, 2011Organizing new workers is never easy but in the United States it's tougher than most places. Participants at an Alcoa Global Unions meeting got to experience first- hand the challenges facing the US unions. The attendees from unions in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Brazil, Suriname, and United Kingdom, took part in an organizing drive assisting the United Steelworkers (USW) as part of their activities. The target company Traco is a subsidiary of Alcoa and employs around 450 workers. Incidentally "Here we go again" was the title of union busting materials Alcoa used in one of its plants and seems apt to use during this organizing drive.

23 September, 2011Workers of the Zaporozhye Ferroalloy Plant in Eastern Ukraine picketed in front of the government office in Kiev protesting against job cuts at the plant. Their union works closely with local and national authorities to find a solution to the acute jobs crisis.

22 September, 2011On September 20 the Swedish metalworkers' union IF Metall filed a bankruptcy petition against the ailing Swedish automaker SAAB at the local district court. The decision was taken unanimously at a video conference meeting of the IF Metall office, the Trollhättan local and the SAAB section.

29 August, 2011A small group of experts from the ArcelorMittal Joint Global Health and Safety Committee visited the Vinton Steel Works in El Paso, Texas. The group, made up of representatives from the European Metalworkers' Federation, United Steelworkers and International Metalworkers' Federation found that although some examples of best practice existed, in the main safety conditions in the plant were below standard and need urgent attention.

26 August, 2011Hanjin Heavy Industries insists on dismissals in breach of contract, despite huge company profits and payment of generous dividends and bonuses to owners and senior company executives. KMWU continues its fight to protect the interests of workers. A Hope Bus Rally is planned in Seoul on August 27 to 28 under the theme "Another World is Possible!

20 July, 2010Participants in a four country seminar organized by the International Metalworkers' Federation agree on three golden rules for future trade union sustainability in the South East Asia region.