Unions campaign for recognition at Chinese-owned textile and garment factories in Uganda14 October, 2021After recruiting and organizing most of the workers in the Chinese-owned textile and garment factories in Mbalala Mukono, the Uganda Textile Garment Leather and Allied Workers Union (UTGLAWU) is shocked by the continued refusal by the employers to recognize the union, in violation of Uganda labour law.
Difficult circumstances - IndustriALL meets with family of unfairly jailed unionist in Madagascar 15 December, 2022In August, Sento Chang was sentenced to 12 months in prison after taking to social media to share discussions the union had with the employer. On 9 December, an IndustriALL delegation met with his family, speaking to his parents-in-law about the very difficult circumstances the family is now finding itself in.
Aggressive anti-union tactics intensify at textile plant in Turkey21 February, 2023After workers at Barutçu Tekstil joined their local union, they were dismissed. In response, the nine dismissed women started picketing in front of the factory. Over 100 days later, some of the dismissed workers and union officials got ammonia poisoning while demonstrating in front of the plant.
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.
Due diligence legislation must be strong to protect workers - the EU can help make this happen 27 April, 2023Meeting with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), trade union leaders from the textile and garment sector in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Tunisia called for mandatory and strong due diligence legislation and Europe’s support to prevent a tragedy like the Rana Plaza disaster from ever happening again.
How can H&M justify its presence in Myanmar? 4 May, 2023Swedish fashion giant H&M’s ESG record is better than many of its peers and the company’s responsible business practices has cemented a constructive relationship with IndustriALL. And yet H&M refuses to stop sourcing from Myanmar, a military dictatorship where unions are banned and foreign exchange are used to buy weapons. At today’s AGM, IndustriALL raised the question with the company.
Military breaks strike in Myanmar garment factory 15 June, 2023Military crackdown on striking workers and subsequent arrests at a factory producing for Spanish fashion giant Zara yet again make it blatantly clear that freedom of association is impossible in Myanmar.
IndustriALL campaign pushes H&M withdrawl from Myanmar18 August, 2023On 16 August H&M, the world’s second biggest retailer, announced that it has decided to gradually stop sourcing from Myanmar, as reports of labour abuses in garment factories in the country increase.
Union to contest unjust court judgment against Malagasy unionist20 September, 2023On 15 September, the Appeals Court in Antananarivo dismissed an application by Sento Chang for the nullification of his conviction and sentence over posting about union activities on social media. SVS, an IndustriALL affiliate, is determined to contest the unjust court judgement.
US brands must sign binding agreements to protect workers19 October, 2023IndustriALL is working with affiliates and allies to promote supply chain industrial relations centred on workers’ rights and legally binding agreements with global brands and retailers. This contrasts with the prevailing voluntary, private auditing model which has not been protective of workers’ rights and has brought risk to companies and investors alike.
