Trade Unions discuss EU India FTA15 February, 2012IMF South Asia Office organized a workshop on EU India Free Trade Agreement on February 14 and 15 in New Delhi. Representatives of Indian national trade union centres and Indian affiliates of IMF, BWI, ITGLWF, UNI, ICEM exchanged views on trade policies and implications for development and employment with IMF affiliates from France, Italy, Canada, Argentina and Japan.
Swedwood USA workers sign first contract20 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.
Global Labour University calls for applications17 January, 2012Master Courses in Labour Policies and Globalisation are about to start in Germany and India. Trade unionists and labour activists are invited to apply.
European shipping companies export hazardous waste18 January, 2012European shipping companies export hazardous waste to developing countries to avoid the costs of proper disposal. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a coalition of environmental and labour organizations, calls on the EU Commission to act and prevent toxic waste trade of European end-of-life ships.
Support the Mexican Electrical Workers Union19 January, 2012LabourStart launches an online solidarity campaign in support of the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union. Affiliates are requested to support the campaign by signing the online protest letter.
GoodElectronics cautious about Apple joining Fair Labor Association24 January, 2012In January Fair Labor Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending sweatshop conditions in factories worldwide, announced Apple was admitted as a "Participating Company". That means that Apple promises to clean its supply chains from labour abuses during the coming two years. While welcoming this move GoodElectronics promises to watch closely whether the membership means Apple takes action on key problems.
200 million unemployed30 January, 2012"After three years of continuous crisis conditions in global labour markets and against the prospect of a further deterioration of economic activity, there is a backlog of global unemployment of 200 million," says ILO in its annual report, "Global Employment Trends 2012: Preventing a deeper jobs crisis".
Finnish High Court: agency work not only temporary31 January, 2012If there is not a motivated and objective reason for a job being temporary, it is permanent, the Finnish High Court ruled on January 24. The fact that a work agency client company assignment is time-limited is not a sufficient reason.
US unions win vote on bargaining10 November, 2011US unions scored an important victory on October 8 when voters in the state of Ohio in a referendum overwhelmingly rejected a Republican Senate Bill to limit public sector workers' collective bargaining rights.
First issue of Metal Asia-Pacific16 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.
