17 января, 2012As UK industrial production fell 3.1 per cent on the year up to November 2011 -- and clocked up the ninth consecutive monthly fall, Unite the union relaunches its strategy to help rebuild and revive UK manufacturing, called "2020 Vision".

11 января, 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.

22 февраля, 2012Labour rights violations continue at Trexta, a manufacturing company in Turkey. Nine workers were dismissed because of their membership of Deri-Is, a local union affiliated to the Textile Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) in Turkey.

20 февраля, 2012A study commissioned by Caterpillar European management has raised concerns among workers and unions that two production zones could be moved possibly to Poland.

20 февраля, 2012Job security and job creation was the foundation behind a new two-year national labour agreement between social partners in Denmark. That came together in marathon bargaining over the weekend, February 11-12, in framework talks for 240,000 Danish manufacturing workers and 6,000 enterprises, the latter represented by Dansk Industri.

20 февраля, 2012The Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) reject changes to labour law in Spain and start continuous mobilization. On February 19, hundreds of thousands of people went to the streets in 57 cities in their first major show of anger over the reforms.

24 января, 2012Despite an improved performance in 2011 the Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) in ArcelorMittal plans to increase its efforts in 2012.

20 января, 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 января, 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.

9 февраля, 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.