17 febrero, 2012IG Metall puts rights of precarious workers at centre of its collective bargaining this year, along with demands for a 6.5 per cent wage increase in the metal and electrical engineering sector and permanent contracts for young people completing apprenticeships.

1 febrero, 2012860 employees of an Electrolux plant in Satu Mare, northern Romania, went on an indefinite strike after the management refused to sign a new collective agreement with the same conditions for 2012.

31 enero, 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

9 febrero, 2012On February 7 workers of the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan went on indefinite strike. They demand compensation for rising contributions to the government insurance fund.