17 November, 2011The transatlantic alliance created by Unite and the United Steelworkers holds its first congress in London and resolves to take joint action on organizing, coordinated collective bargaining and global solidarity.

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.

15 November, 2011A four month lock-out at the Turkish operations of German-owned GEA is gaining worldwide attention as an international delegation prepares to visit the picket site and pledge global action.

20 December, 2011On December 17, 2011, workers at the IKEA-owned Swedwood plant in Danville, USA, voted for their first collective bargaining agreement which will go into effect on January 1, 2012.

16 December, 2011Amid mounting international pressure against GEA the IMF and EMF joined the picket line at GEA's subsidiary in Turkey on December 16 to address locked-out workers and show solidarity with their struggle.

15 December, 2011After 94 days of strike an agreement was signed in Jakarta on December 14 between PT Freeport Indonesia Workers' Union (SP KEP SPSI) and the Indonesian subsidiary of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan.

12 December, 2011IMF's British affiliate Unite has warned car maker BMW that it could face industrial action in 2012 unless it reverses plans to close its pension scheme to new starters and use a legal loop-hole to deny agency staff equal pay.

2 December, 2011Unions in Bulgaria organized a nationwide protest action on November 30 in response to the government's announced austerity measures. The Government later backed down from pensions cuts.

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.