We mourn the killed Turkish miners 15 October, 2022An explosion in a coal mine in Amasra, Turkey, on 14 October, has killed 41 miners. IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe are outraged and saddened by the avoidable accident and send their condolences to the families of the victims.
Glencore must be consistent in respecting workers and human rights globally20 September, 2022An IndustriALL trade union network meeting on 8 September in Johannesburg urged Glencore to be consistent in implementing global policies that protected workers and human rights, community interests, and the environment.
A worker from Madagascar who is part of global efforts to save endangered species19 September, 2022Environmental workers at mining sites are often on the fringes of mining activities, but with more focus now being given to environmental, social and governance issues, their important work is becoming visible and getting more recognition.
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.
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.
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.
South African mineworkers discuss strategies to prevent injuries and deaths from mine accidents6 August, 2022The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) national health and safety committee met on 4 August in Johannesburg to discuss the impact of the union’s health and safety campaigns and training programmes in the mining, energy, construction, and metals’ industries.
Workplace safety still a major concern in Pakistani mines12 July, 2022According to IndustriALL affiliates in Pakistan, as of 7 July, there had been around 60 accidents in the country’s mines, killing more than 90 workers and severely injuring around 40. Workers are killed by underground explosions, methane gas poisoning, suffocation or mine walls collapsing due to lax safety procedures and the unavailability of the first line of treatment at mining sites.
Making workers heard along the battery supply chain30 June, 2022In an online meeting on 28 June, IndustriALL brought together industry experts to discuss and consolidate the strategy on battery supply chains.