African trade unions want critical minerals revenues to fund development2 December, 2025On 1 December, trade unions representing millions of African workers in mining, energy and manufacturing industries gathered in Addis Ababa, declared that unless the new African green minerals strategy (AGMS) is radically redesigned around decent work and local value addition, the green boom will simply become the latest chapter in the extraction and export of mineral resources.
At least 50 miners killed in Congo bridge collapse; unions demand action20 November, 2025The tragic bridge collapse at the Kalando artisanal copper and cobalt mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province, on 15November 2025, which claimed at least 50 lives and left dozens injured or missing, is a heartbreaking reminder of the deadly risks and hazardous conditions faced by artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Taming the Congolese paradox in the battery supply chain15 October, 2025Trade unions and civil society organizations are joining forces to tame the Congolese paradox in the battery supply chain. The paradox is evident in the stark contradiction in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a nation endowed with vast natural resources such as cobalt, copper, coltan and diamonds, which account for much of the global supply needed for electronics and electric vehicles yet plagued by extreme poverty, armed conflict, corruption and human and workers’ rights violations.
Ukrainian unions: workers can’t bear full safety burden14 October, 2025Ukrainian workers continue to show extraordinary resilience, keeping key sectors, of the country’s economy, running under full-scale occupation and invasion. Despite constant danger, destroyed workplaces and scarce resources mining, nuclear and manufacturing workers keep the economy alive. At the same time, a wave of worker-hostile legislation is advancing and social dialogue has stalled.
DRC women artisanal miners face exploitation as unions seek better working conditions9 October, 2025On 7 October, in the noon of a blazing sun, women miners stand in nearly knee-high mud pools processing cobalt from nearby pits at Mutoshi, Kolwezi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s Lualaba Province. This has dire consequences to their health, according to reports.
Building social partnership in Armenia’s mining sector2 October, 2025With the support of IndustriALL Global Union and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia (CTUA), trade union leaders from Armenia’s mining and metallurgical sector gathered in Kapan, Syunik region, for a two-day round table–seminar on: social partnership at the republican and sectoral levels. Social dialogue and establishing social partnership at the enterprise level. The event took place on 19–20 September 2025.
Mining unions forge global networks to strengthen worker protections19 September, 2025In a bid to strengthen collective bargaining and safeguard workers’ rights, trade union affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union from Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe convened in Dar es Salaam 10-12 September. The workshop focused on revitalizing trade union networks within multinational mining corporations (MNCs), including Glencore, Barrick Gold, AngloGold Ashanti and Valterra Platinum (formerly under Anglo American).
African trade unions push for HRDD in green minerals surge 17 September, 2025As Africa’s critical minerals power the global energy transition, trade unions are pressing for human rights due diligence (HRDD) to ensure that workers benefit from the continent’s rich mineral resources. At a conference in Accra, Ghana, on 2-3 September 2025, hosted by IndustriALL Global Union Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regional office, 90 delegates from 15 countries including trade union leaders, partners and other stakeholders gathered to align global HRDD standards with African realities.
Pakistan: Three workers killed in gas explosion in coal mine28 August, 2025A powerful gas explosion killed three mine workers on 26 August 2025 in northwest Balochistan. The blast, caused by methane gas accumulation, blocked the entrance and suffocated the workers trapped inside. The tragedy highlights the ongoing failure to ensure safe working conditions in the region’s coal mines.
Unions push for safer, organized artisanal gold mining in Zimbabwe26 August, 2025In Zimbabwe, where artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) accounts for over half of the country’s gold production, unions are stepping up to improve health, safety and organization for informal miners.
