South Africa: Union demands justice for woman worker murdered at electricity sub-station28 June, 2018In May last year, power utility Eskom worker, 29-year-old Thembisile Yende, was murdered whilst at work at an electricity sub-station in Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg. On 28 June, the court said that the director of public prosecutions has provisionally withdrawn the charges against her alleged killer, David Ngwenya, a technician at Eskom.
In Iraq, trade unions are helping to rebuild popular power26 June, 2018The Iraqi labour movement begun in the 1920s in the oil industry and amongst railroad workers. During his time at power, Saddam Hussein suppressed left-wing parties and only permitted weak unions controlled by the government. Under the recent US occupation, authorities kept unions and the left marginalised, while prioritising the privatisation of Iraqi industry.
Algeria: Threats soar against democratic unions after ILC 20 June, 2018Severe labour rights’ violations continue in Algeria with relentless pressure and intimidation against independent unions. It comes as the Algerian Minister for Labour, Mourad Zemali, has threatened to leave the International Labour Organization (ILO), following the Organization’s decision to send a high-level mission to meet independent unions in the country.
South African unions reject Eskom’s zero-increase in wages15 June, 2018Thousands of workers picketed outside Eskom offices in Johannesburg on 14 June to demand a 15 per cent wage increase and reject a no-increase announcement by state-owned energy company Eskom, who is arguing that it is broke.
Global unions unite to support independent trade unions in Algeria7 June, 2018Global unions rallied outside the United Nations in Geneva on 6 June 2018 to protest against the persecution of independent trade unions in Algeria.
Brazilian oil workers temporarily suspend national strike4 June, 2018IndustriALL Brazilian affiliate FUP temporarily suspended their 72-hour national strike when the court threatened the union with an extortionate fine of 2 million reais (US$540,000) per day, a clear violation of trade union rights.
Exxon bars workers from joining shareholders’ meeting1 June, 2018Members of IndustriALL Australian affiliate AMWU travelled to Dallas, Texas in the US, to attend ExxonMobil’s annual shareholders’ meeting on 30 May to raise concerns over the long-running conflict at the company’s subsidiary Esso Australia. However, once there the four workers were denied entry despite having the necessary documents.
IndustriALL and PSI sign global responsible employer agreement with EDF 29 May, 2018Today, global unions IndustriALL and PSI signed a global responsibility agreement with French electricity company EDF, covering all of EDF’s activities in 24 countries, combining compliance with international labour conventions. The agreement is designed to guarantee the development of a shared set of standards for the Group’s 160,000 employees whilst consolidating international social dialogue.
Shell unable to answer worker questions at AGM24 May, 2018Royal Dutch Shell’s executive board failed to give adequate responses to questions on serious violations of workers’ rights at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Tuesday.
Iraqi electricity workers win inclusion for 150,000 precarious workers18 May, 2018Recent strike action by 30,000 Iraqi electricity workers employed on precarious contracts has lead the government to concede and provide 150,000 public workers from all sectors with the same pension and social security rights as permanent workers.
