The work to keep garment factories safe must continue4 April, 202324 April marks the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, an industrial homicide that killed more than 1,100 people and injured many more. The tragedy served as a turning point for the textile and garment industry as out of the rubble, the Bangladesh Accord was created. Unions were able to turn tragedy into a historic agreement to make garment factories safer.
Organizing along a changing minerals value chain4 April, 2023The increased demand for critical metals and minerals needed for a clean energy transition to a low carbon future has motivated many multinational mining companies to diversify their operations, providing opportunities for unions to organize in the global value chains which now include converging industrial sectors in the automotive, energy, mining, and oil and gas.
Systematic repression in Belarus23 March, 2023This month, both the ILO Governing Body and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have made strong statements on the human rights situation in Belarus, calling on the government to stop persecuting those involved in independent trade unions in the country.
Laboratorios SMA SAC in Peru intensifies union busting23 March, 2023Peru-based company Laboratorios SMA SAC has sent a pre-termination notice to its union’s general secretary. In response, IndustriALL is calling on the company’s multinational buyers to intervene to stop the union busting, retract the pre-termination notice and negotiate in good faith to resolve outstanding issues.
Continued repression against union activists in Belarus8 March, 2023Authorities in Belarus continue to crack down on what is left of the independent union movement in the country. In the last week, several activists have been arrested on trumped up charges in an attempt to stop the movement for a democratic country.
Unions' central role in due diligence 2 March, 2023The OECD forum on due diligence in the garment and footwear sector in Paris, France, in February brought together governments, businesses, unions, civil society and academia to discuss the responsibility that companies have to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for their adverse impacts on human rights.
Framework for a responsible business disengagement from Myanmar22 February, 2023IndustriALL Global Union and a number of garment brands with operations in Myanmar have jointly developed a framework for a responsible exit from the country.
Unions take part in national strike against Peru’s government21 February, 2023IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliates in Peru have taken part in a fresh national strike against Dina Boluarte’s government. They called for her and members of Congress to resign, and for elections to be called.
Uruguayan government officials illegally surveil union president9 February, 2023Uruguayan government officials have engaged in illegal surveillance of Marcelo Abdala, president of Uruguayan trade union federation PIT-CNT and general secretary of IndustriALL affiliate UNTMRA. PIT-CNT is considering political and legal action in defence of democracy, the Republic and freedoms.
Calls for justice for slain Eswatini human rights defender 3 February, 2023On 3 February, South African unions from the Congress of South African Trade Unions and civil society organizations campaigning for democratic reforms picketed at the Eswatini Embassy in Johannesburg to call for justice and for an independent investigation following the assassination of Thulani Maseko, a human rights and social justice lawyer.
