OECD Steel Committee: workers’ delegation stands in solidarity with steel workers in Ukraine 31 March, 2022The 91st session of the OECD Steel Committee on 29-31 March was held under the dark shadow of the invasion of Ukraine. Various national representatives expressed their distress for the people of Ukraine as well as highlighting the negative impact of sanctions against Russia on the global steel sector.
Kenya: union calls for improved safety standards as worker dies in furnace accident31 March, 2022Kenyan unions are calling for better occupational health and safety (OHS) standards in the steel manufacturing industry after a worker was burnt to death in an open furnace accident at Blue Nile Steel Manufacturing factory in Thika. Blue Nile, which manufactures galvanised wire and other steel products, is one of the largest steel manufacturers in the country.
Union signs collective agreement with ArcelorMittal Liberia 24 March, 2022After five months of negotiations, the United Workers Union of Liberia (UWUL), which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, signed a collective bargaining agreement with steelmaker ArcelorMittal Liberia on 12 March which will benefit 1,260 workers and create 400 permanent jobs.
Successful union building in Morocco18 March, 2022Long-term work in building union power in Morocco has resulted in two new national unions in the textile-garment and metal industries, the FNTSIME-UMT and the FNTTCCL-UMT.
Turkish metalworkers win after united fight12 January, 2022After months of mobilization, action, and campaigning, three IndustriALL affiliates in the metal sector, Türk Metal, Birleşik Metal-İş and Özçelik-İş, have reached an agreement with employers’ organization MESS for a sector-wide collective bargaining agreement.
Turkish metalworkers fight for a fair contract6 January, 2022Covering 142,000 metalworkers in more than 300 companies, sector-wide collective bargaining kicked off in October 2021 between trade unions and the Turkish Metal Employers’ Association MESS. Since mid-December, metalworkers have carried out actions, urging employers to accept their demands against the backdrop of Turkey’s economic crisis.
Union wins as strike action ends in three-year wage agreement26 October, 2021The three weeks engineering and metals sector national strike ended when a three-year wage agreement with an offer of six per cent was signed by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) on 21 October.
Union win in Indian steel industry25 October, 2021Indian unions, including IndustriALL affiliates INMF and SMEFI, have successfully finalized a long-awaited wage agreement with Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), benefitting more than 100,000 employees.
South African engineering workers on strike for living wages after failed negotiations6 October, 2021Tens of thousands of workers employed in the engineering and metals sectors took to the streets of the main cities - Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Kimberley - on 5 October to demand living wages in the sectors after a deadlock in the negotiations.
Unions in Asia Pacific call for Just Transition27 September, 2021IndustriALL Asia Pacific affiliates in base metals and mechanical engineering sectors are demanding that governments and employers ensure a Just Transition for workers impacted by Industry 4.0 and green technology.
