30 enero, 2012In a letter to the president of Colombia, the USW and Unite trade unions call for an investigation into the brutal killings of Mauricio Redondo (USO) and Víctor Manuel Hilarion (SINTRAPAZ).

30 enero, 2012Stefan Löfven, president of the 355,000 member IF Metall, was elected the Swedish Social Democratic Party acting president after Håkan Juholt resigned on January 21.

25 enero, 2012On January 1, 2012, Rio Tinto's aluminium subsidiary Alcan locked out 780 members of United Steelworkers at its smelter and refinery in Alma, Québec. The company refuses to negotiate limits on contract work.

11 enero, 2012Workers at the Caterpillar-owned Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) plant in Ontario, Canada were locked out on New Year's Eve when the union contract expired, after they overwhelmingly voted to authorize strike action unless management withdrew drastic concession demands.

11 enero, 2012At the end of December 170 IF Metall union reps from working sites across Sweden agreed to a new 14 month contract with employers' associations, starting February 1, 2012, and running up to March 31, 2013. Salaries will be increased by 3 per cent.

9 febrero, 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.

6 febrero, 2012February Global Days of Action 2012 kicks off on February 19, in memory of the 63 miners killed in the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion of 2006. The initiative has been approved by the Council of Global Unions (CGU), as last year the affiliates are encouraged to act in co-ordination with sister organizations and their National Centres.

20 enero, 2012Unilever workers stage ten-day strike actions at food and cleaning products company Unilever UK sites January 18-28 to protest against planned pension cuts. A strike fund has been launched.

20 enero, 2012The complaint of the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union (SME) against their government will be considered in both Canada and the United States under North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) side agreement on labour cooperation.

6 febrero, 2012PKC workers want the National Miners' and Metalworkers Union (SNTMMSRM) to represent them but the company is imposing its own choice of union