20 May, 2011The United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to hold its 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Durban, South Africa from 28 November to 9 December 2011. This is a government negotiations space where there is limited room for engagement by civil society. However, civil society and organised labour is working hard to raise awareness on climate change issues and ensure that their voices are heard not only at COP 17 but at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012. The 2012 conference is known as Rio+20, as it is to take place 20 years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio where the concept of sustainable development was adopted by governments for the first time and which launched key political processes on sustainable development like the COP climate negotiations.

18 May, 2011Birlesik Metal-IS members protest the firings by marching from the factory gates to the company headquarters, a week-long, 219 km march from Duzce to Istanbul.

18 May, 2011Wheels India workers at Ranjangaon, Pune in Maharastra are on strike demanding increased wages, regularization and equal remuneration for contract workers engaged in work of a perennial nature. International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) extends its solidarity to the struggling workers and calls upon the management to negotiate with the workers.

31 May, 2011Threats against workers trying to join the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico at the La Platosa mine spark international outcry.

28 May, 2011Over 3,000 riot police were sent to break up the sit-in protest of 500 workers at South Korean auto parts producer Yoosung Enterprise factory in Asan. According to a report received by the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU) this is part of a general union busting strategy applied by the company.

24 May, 2011The International Metalworkers' Federation launches IMF TV, a new platform for reporting on activities to support the struggle of metalworkers around the world.

24 May, 2011Progress in the metalworkers' confederation affiliated to Força Sindical in Brazil - a woman is elected leader of the confederation for the first time.

5 April, 2011The United Nations released its much-anticipated Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, seeking to provide an authoritative global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse human rights impacts linked to business activities.

30 March, 2011Upwards of half a million people marched through London on Saturday in a turnout that British trade unions said exceeded their highest predictions.

30 March, 2011The United Steelworkers (USW) in North America has created a Unity Council around the Evraz Group, the world's tenth largest steel producer that is controlled by holding companies connected to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.