NCP delays enable continued military-linked investment in Myanmar 4 February, 2026As the OECD Forum on Responsible Business Conduct in Garment and Footwear convenes in Paris next week, Myanmar marks five years since the military seized power. For workers and trade unions, those five years have meant systemic abuses of the OECD Guidelines and the collapse of any meaningful due diligence.
Martha Orozco makes history as first woman to join USO Colombia’s national executive committee4 February, 2026On 15 January, Martha Orozco became the first woman elected to the national executive committee in the 100-year history of the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate in Colombia. Martha participated in IndustriALL’s regional gender project from 2017 to 2020 and became a mentor in the mentoring project implemented with LO-Norway. She spoke with IndustriALL about her trade union journey and her new leadership role within the union.
Chinese-owned Zimbabwe mine dismisses women after forced HIV tests2 February, 2026The management of a Chinese-owned gold mine in Zimbabwe is facing legal action from the union after subjecting female workers to mandatory HIV testing before summarily dismissing them. The union describes the management’s actions as a flagrant breach of national laws on privacy, equality and non-discrimination.
Myanmar coup anniversary exposes sham elections and ongoing repression29 January, 2026Five years after the military seized power in Myanmar, workers continue to face repression, while sham elections, international complaints and unprecedented action at the ILO expose the junta’s failure to deliver rights or democracy.
Union busting at Apple supplier Lumileds Malaysia 29 January, 2026Workers at Apple supplier Lumileds Malaysia are facing retaliation after exercising their legal right to organise. In response, IndustriALL Global Union and its Malaysian affiliate, the Electronics Industry Employees Union Northern Region (EIEU-NR), have launched a LabourStart campaign demanding that Lumileds end union busting and reinstate dismissed workers.
Unions from Adidas supplier countries meet amid growing concerns over collective bargaining22 January, 2026Trade union representatives from key Adidas supplier countries met in Indonesia on 14–15 January for talks focused on labour standards, collective bargaining and conditions along the company’s global supply chain.
Lululemon supplier terminates 500 Philippine workers during Christmas 19 January, 2026On 22 December, Hong Kong–based garment company Charter Link Clark, a supplier to athletic brand Lululemon, terminated 500 workers in the Philippines with immediate effect during a Christmas party.
Union advocacy cuts mine worker fatalities in Pakistan in 202516 January, 2026After years of dangerous working conditions in Pakistan’s mines, reported accidents have declined in 2025, following sustained union pressure, the introduction of new safety legislation and targeted occupational health and safety measures in high-risk mining areas.
IndustriALL and ENI strengthen global labour commitments 15 January, 2026IndustriALL Global Union has renewed the global framework agreement with Italian energy company ENI, updating and strengthening the previous one signed in 2019. This new agreement marks the continuation of more than two decades of social dialogue and global cooperation between the Italian energy company and the international trade union movement.
UA Zensen: Japan’s largest industrial union at a turning point13 January, 2026Representing more than 1.9 million workers across diverse sectors, UA Zensen faces the same pressures confronting the rest of Japan’s labour movement, including declining union density and the rise of non-regular employment. The union has responded by concentrating on organizing workers often left outside traditional structures and by strengthening its involvement in supply-chain human rights issues. Elected president of UA Zensen last year, Tomoko Nagashima discusses how the union is preparing for the years ahead.
