During his visit to Uruguay, unions call on the Mexican president to respect freedom of association31 January, 2013Representatives of the Uruguayan union central, PIT-CNT, IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Americas delivered a letter addressed to the Mexican president at the Mexican Embassy in Uruguay, anticipating the president’s official visit to Uruguay, and calling on him to intervene to settle labour disputes in Mexico.
Stop austerity for executive staff24 January, 2013While the minimum wage went up by 2.3 per cent this year and the social security ceiling by 1.8 per cent, minimum salaries for engineers and executives in the metalworking industries in France continue to stagnate. They will not stop regressing until a plan running over a couple of years is put in place starting this year which raises minimum salaries by 3 per cent.
Numsa opposes proposed electricity tariff hikes18 January, 2013Numsa has rejected Eskoms’ proposal to the South African energy regulator for a 16 per cent increase each year for the next five years, raising concerns that workers and the poor will ultimately pay the price.
Unions prepare for Mexico Days of Action17 January, 2013Preparations are continuing for actions around the world marking the 2013 Mexico Days of Action, 18-24 February.
5,000 Jakarta workers rally for wages17 January, 2013Trade unions led 5,000 workers in a mass rally in Jakarta on 16 January denouncing the government’s decision to exempt over 900 companies from paying the increased minimum wages as agreed in November 2012.
Sign White House petition on precarious work in Korea17 January, 2013Korean Metal Workers’ Union petition the U.S. White House to demand that Chung Mong-Koo, chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, accept the Supreme Court ruling to grant permanent employment to precarious workers.
Hunger strike launched at PKC in Mexico10 January, 2013Eleven members of the Mexican national union of mineworkers, Los Mineros, sacked by Finnish-based PKC before Christmas started a hunger strike on 8 January in protest of the union-busting.
Hyundai stops night shifts in Korea10 January, 2013Hyundai workers began a new shift system on 8 January 2013 no longer working overnight for the first time since 1967 thanks to the IndustriALL-affiliated Korean Metal Workers’ Union’s agreement with the company.
Blatant violation of labour rights at Benteler in Russia13 December, 2012Dmitry Khokhlov, an assembly line operator at Benteler, a VW supplier in Kaluga, Russia, and a union activist, was rehired in accordance with a court decision — and then immediately fired again. Benteler HR director said the court’s order ‘goes against corporate ethics’.
Progress in cutting agency work at VW in Russia6 December, 2012The Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA), an IndustriALL affiliate, engaged in talks with Volkswagen management in Kaluga, Russia, about the rules for transferring agency workers to permanent positions. Meanwhile, at Ford in Vsevolozhsk, Russia, ITUA local struggles through the third week of the work-to-rules strike.
