International labour movement campaigns for oil workers in Kazakhstan12 December, 2013On 10 December, Human Rights Day, national and global union organizations together with the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia and web resource LabourStart launched a campaign for release of seven oil workers held in custody since 2012.
Three trade union leaders detained in Colombia12 December, 2013On 4 December, Campo Elías Ortiz, a Colombian trade union, social and political activist as well as member of Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), was arrested. Merely a few hours later, two more members of USO, Jose Dilio Naranjo and Héctor Sánchez, were also detained. All three are employed by Pacific Rubiales, in the department of Meta.
IndustriALL tribute to Nelson Mandela 1918 - 201311 December, 2013At the state memorial service for Nelson Mandela it seemed like even the heavens were in mourning. A grey sombre day, with a steady stream of wet tears from the sky blurring the cameras as one dignitary after another from around the world paid tribute to this great man. Never before has the loss of a leader been mourned the world over, and probably never again.
“Time to consign old Iraqi labour laws to the dustbin of history”9 December, 2013IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina delivered this message to the Iraqi Ambassador to the UN in Geneva today. It is the latest stage of on-going dialogue with the Iraqi authorities to ensure an urgent passing of ILO-compliant labour and trade union legislation in the country.
Symbolic Napoleón Gómez victory moves IndustriALL6 December, 2013In both opening and closing this week’s Executive Committee, to resounding applause from the EC members, President Huber welcomed Napoleón Gómez Urrutia to address the EC in person. This was Napoleón's his first trip outside Canada since he was forced into exile in 2005.
IndustriALL ExCo commits to front line union struggles 5 December, 2013The IndustriALL Global Union Executive Committee meeting on 4-5 December 2013, committed to rally behind key urgent struggles of affiliates in Ansell Sri Lanka, Samsung Korea, Bangladesh, MENA, and Mexico. ExCo also supported a reorientation of the International to increase focus on strategic campaigns and organising.
IndustriALL Executives condemn Samsung for union busting5 December, 2013Today at the international body meeting, IndustriALL Executive Committee members unanimously approved a petition condemning Samsung Electronics for union busting policy.
Fire kills seven and injures three in Italy5 December, 2013At least seven migrant garment workers of Chinese origin died and three were injured in the blaze on 1 December 2013 in an industrial zone of the town of Prato in Tuscany region of Italy.
IndustriALL launches second issue of “Global Worker” 5 December, 2013The second issue of IndustriALL Global Union’s journal, “Global Worker”, was launched this week at the 4-5 December IndustriALL Executive Committee meeting in Geneva. Sign up to receive copies of the journal or view online.
New national industrial union takes shape in Chile3 December, 2013At the eighth national conference of the Chilean metalworkers’ confederation (CONSTRAMET) on 21-23 November, delegates made progress in discussions on the organization of a new national industrial union. This was a significant step forward in the task of creating a union that will negotiate at sector level and cover all manufacturing and extractive industries where Industriall represents workers at the global level.