Struggle intensifies at Hanjin shipyard in Korea13 July, 2011Some 10,000 people participated on July 9-10 in the "Hope Bus" march to the Hanjin shipyard in Korea to protest against dismissals in breach of their union contract. Riot police blocked and sprayed marchers with teargas fluid in spite of the fact that they had a permit and had informed the police of the march.
NUMSA strike ends with substantial gains for workers18 July, 2011The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has reached an agreement with employers ending the two week strike in the metal and engineering sector involving 170, 000 workers, the vast majority of whom are NUMSA members.
NUM succeeds in blocking Vale's bid for Metorex in Southern Africa28 July, 2011The global International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) family last week congratulated the victory by South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to block Brazilian mining group Vale's efforts to invest in the country, and to operate elsewhere in the region.
Verizon demands concessions, refuses to bargain19 August, 2011On Sunday, August 7, 45,000 Verizon workers on the US East Coast, represented by the IMF affiliate Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), went on strike. The company attempts to force massive concessions from the unions, and make them give up gains they had won over many years of struggle and negotiation in previous contract fights.
ITUA starts a campaign against precarious work in Russia30 August, 2011On August 29 the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) rallied in front of the office of the employment agency Adecco in Kaluga, Russia. The action marked the beginning of the union campaign against precarious work.
BlueScope Steel Sackings Reveal Crisis in Australian Manufacturing6 September, 2011Australian union members of three trade union organisations are livid with the announcement that BlueScope Steel will lop 1,400 jobs in New South Wales and Victoria. Members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and the Electrical Trades Union of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (ETU-CEPU) met in Wollongong on 25 August and sternly moved to resist all restructuring until further labour-management consultations can occur.
Maruti-Suzuki workers in India fight for their union8 September, 2011From August 29 the management of Maruti-Suzuki India at Manesar asks workers to sign a "good conduct" pledge before allowing them to enter the plant, in effect locking out workers who refuse to give up their labour rights. Since then the management terminated 23 workers and suspended 34 on charges of misconduct and instigating workers to stop production.
Delegation of affiliates visits workers' television channel in Brazil13 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.
IMF and CAW hold a workshop in Saint-Petersburg15 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.
IG Metall breaks new ground with first accord in german solar energy sector14 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.
