NEWU commemorates National Health and Safety Day22 June, 2011The National Engineering Workers Union (NEWU) joined ZCTU to commemorate Health and Safety Day on 6 June 2011, under the theme 'Save Our Rights, Save Our Economy and Our Jobs'.
NEWU achieves a twenty percent wage increase for workers2 July, 2011The twenty percent wage increase that has been awarded to workers in the engineering, iron and steel industry has been welcomed with mixed feelings. Some union members think the twenty percent is a job well done as it meet the mandate given to the National Engineering Workers Union (NEWU), that the negotiators may not accept anything less than a twenty percent increase. For others, a much higher increase was needed as the new wage minimum still means that workers of the lowest grade get half of what is required to earn at the level of the poverty datum line.
GE union members approve four-year pact5 July, 2011General Electric (GE) workers in America ratified a four-year labour agreement in late June that now sets a pattern for 15,200 unionised GE workers in the US.
Judgement stops blocking union access to workers in Australia5 July, 2011The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) won a definitive judgment from Fair Work Australia on 24 June that grants the union right of entry to lunch rooms at Rio Tinto's Alcan aluminium smelter in Bell Bay, Tasmania. The ruling ends months of legal wrangling and should serve as a precedent against employers from blocking legitimate union access to workers on job sites.
12 Birleşik members detained by gendarmerie22 July, 2011MAS-DAF workers fight for reinstatement after being summarily fired for joining the Turkish union, Birleşik Metal-İş, were detained by gendarmerie in an effort to stop the union's second round of actions to force the government to intervene.
Caterpillar to Close Canadian Train Locomotive Plant6 February, 2012Caterpillar disclosed its plans to stop its train locomotive plant in London, Ontario. The shutdown comes five weeks after Caterpillar's locked out 465 CAW members at the Canadian train locomotive plant Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) in London, Ontario.
European industry and manufacturing unions to unite9 February, 2012The European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers' Federation (EMCEF), European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) and the European Trade Union Federation for textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear (ETUF-TCL) will formally merge in Brussels on May 16, 2012.
Outsourcing ruled unconstitutional in Indonesian court9 February, 2012The Indonesian Constitution Court rules that outsourcing is against workers' rights as enshrined in the Constitution and, elsewhere in Indonesia, workers stage mass protests to successfully defend minimum wage increase decision.
Eternit owners sentenced to 16 years of prison14 February, 2012In a trial in Turin Eternit owners, Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, are found guilty in thousands of deaths and are sentenced to 16 years of jail. The case is unprecedented and can be exemplary for other producers and distributors of deadly asbestos worldwide.
Histadrut wins better conditions for precarious workers14 February, 2012On February 12 Histadrut (Israel Federation of Trade Unions) ended its national strike having gained considerable improvements in conditions of employment for precarious workers in Israel. Many temporary workers will be regularized and get higher wages and better conditions.
