Health and safety in Armenia13 September, 2022Although Armenia ratified ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mines in 1998, there is still several pending issues. On 9-11 September, IndustriALL and the ILO held a health and safety workshop for the Trade Union of Miners, Metallurgists and Jewellers of Armenia, attended by representatives from the country’s labour inspectorate and directors from big mining and metallurgical companies.
Pakistan’s garment workers need safe factories7 September, 202211 September marks the tenth anniversary of the fire at Ali Enterprises, a readymade garment-manufacturing factory, in Pakistan. More than 250 people were killed and over 50 were injured in one of the world’s worst industrial fires. Although workplace safety remains a major concern, significant steps towards safer factories for textile and garment workers have been taken at a global level in the last year.
One worker dies, four are injured after gas leak in India7 September, 2022A contract worker died and four others sustained serious injuries after a gas leak at Aarey Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Maharashtra's Palghar district on 4 September.
Cambodian police harass unionists campaigning for minimum wage 5 September, 2022IndustriALL affiliate Federation of Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) has been subjected to police intimidation during the nationwide minimum wage negotiations for the garment and textile sector.
Unions campaign for decent work in artisanal and small-scale mining 1 September, 2022Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Sub Saharan Africa is largely informal with over 13 million, mainly youth, working in the informal mines. In Zambia, ASM extracts cobalt, copper, gold, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, tin, zinc, nickel, and precious stones while in Ghana the main mineral is gold.
Government and employers must ensure safe mining in Pakistan1 September, 2022Pakistan’s mining industry is riddled with workplace safety violations and occupational disease. Exposure to coal dust leads to various health issues, including serious lung and heart ailments and spinal injuries. Add to that the dangers of methane gas poisoning, suffocation, underground explosions, or mine walls collapsing, leading to numerous fatalities every year.
Pakistani workers win wage raise after strike31 August, 2022After striking for a month, power loom workers in Pakistan have secured a win by signing an agreement with the employer on wage increases, contributions to social security and improved health and safety.
Madagascar’s revised mining code must include workers’ and human rights31 August, 2022Unions in Madagascar are concerned that the mining code – the country’s legal framework for mining development – is silent on workers’ and human rights. Revising the mining code provides the government with the opportunity to include the creation of decent jobs, protection of workers’ rights including for women miners, living wages, social dialogue, and social protection.
Asia Pacific cement unions focus on organizing and gender equality31 August, 2022Organizing precarious workers into unions and realizing gender equality in the cement sector is the way forward, say IndustriALL affiliates in Asia Pacific.
South Asian shipbreaking workers prepare for recycling boom25 August, 2022South Asian shipbreaking unions are preparing an organizing drive to take advantage of the expected recycling boom.
