“Working in Myanmar is like modern slavery”9 December, 2021Nearly eleven months into military rule in Myanmar, trade unions in the country say that the dictatorship must end immediately, as democratic rule is essential for protecting workers’ rights.
Georgian unions prepare to negotiate a Just Transition9 December, 2021On 4 December, unions in Georgia discussed their response to climate change and future reforms in the global energy balance, within the context of a Just Transition. Due to travel restrictions, foreign experts and guests participated online, while Georgian unionists met in person.
Union campaign pays off as Covid-19 vaccination rates hit 74% in South Africa’s garment sector8 December, 2021One of the unions leading the Covid-19 vaccination campaign for workers in South Africa is the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU). The union’s tireless awareness and educational campaigns for workers to take the jab and adhere to Covid-19 protocols are paying off.
Indonesian Supreme Court finds in favour of Freeport strikers8 December, 2021In 2017, the owners of the PT Freeport Grasberg copper mine in West Papua, Indonesia, provoked a strike of 8,300 workers. The company used the strike, which it said was illegal, as a pretext to fire 4,200. After years of legal disputes, the Indonesian Supreme Court has issued its final judgement: the strike was legal.
O-I Glass worker dies after furnace leaks in Brazil2 December, 2021Brazilian glass workers’ union Sindicato dos Vidreiros held a two-hour protest on 1 December in São Paulo, Brazil, after O-I Glass worker Antônio Carlos Tola Júnior was killed in a preventable workplace accident.
South Africa submits documents to ratify ILO Convention 1902 December, 2021With women mineworkers raped and murdered underground, energy workers killed during night shifts whilst others are attacked and scarred for life with acid while at work, the South African workplace is a crime scene for gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH).
Indonesian government told to suspend Omnibus law2 December, 2021After Indonesia’s constitutional court ruled the so-called Omnibus law unconstitutional, Indonesian trade unions are reiterating their call on the government to suspend the controversial Job Creation Law and related regulations.
One worker killed and six injured at Holcim in India1 December, 2021One worker was killed and five other injured at Marwar cement plant in Nagaur district of Rajasthan, India on 18 November 2021. Another worker was seriously injured in Maratha Cement Works in Maharashtra on 11 November 2021. Both plants are owned by Holcim subsidiary, Ambuja cement.
Stop union busting in Belarus1 December, 2021Independent unions in Belarus are under threat, as employers and state authorities use every chance to intimidate and dismiss independent union members, thus decreasing membership.
Global workers call for universal access to Covid-19 vaccines, health products and technologies29 November, 2021The Global Council of Unions, representing 200 million workers, is calling for urgent action by governments. It has been nearly two years since the outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Workers have stepped up, putting themselves at risk to safeguard people's lives, livelihoods, and the global economy, and driven outstanding advances in science and medicine with the rapid development of Covid-19 tests, treatments, drugs, medical devices, personal protective equipment and, most importantly, vaccines.
