14 April, 2011Employment law changes that came into force 1 April have given all employers the right to dismiss employees within the first 90 days "trial" period, with no rights to personal grievance procedure. This rule previously applied for small businesses of fewer than 20 employees.
14 April, 2011The European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) and Areva, the Paris-based nuclear power and nuclear service provider, signed a protocol agreement on April 1 intended to facilitate career enhancement and employee competencies within the 13 European countries that Areva operates in.
14 April, 2011Mobilisation in the Netherlands toward strike action won 330,000 metalworkers a 25-month labour agreement in the small metals and electric-technical sector. The pay package of 4.45 per cent exceeds Dutch inflation and is expected to set the pace for national contracts in the coming weeks in automotive and the big metals sectors.
7 May, 2011One of the biggest strike actions launched in decades in Gujarat by General Motors India workers was called off on May 4. Work intensification and subsequent chronic health problems were the main issues of protesting workers.
25 June, 2011During his visit to the National Assembly of Korea as part of a numerous delegation of trade unions and progressive political parties IMF Assistant General Secretary, Fernando Lopes reported about increasing workers' rights abuses in Korea.
24 June, 2011In a landmark court ruling, cancer among workers in the semiconductor industry is considered for the first time to be an occupational disease.
24 June, 2011For the first time, a delegation of IMF affiliated unions visits the Paris Air Show, emphasizing the importance of labour in the success of the industry.
23 June, 2011During recent months government pressure against the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FTUU) and its affiliates has significantly increased. Many trade union leaders, including FTUU president Vasyl Hara, were summoned to the prosecutor's office. IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina sent a letter to the president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich demanding an immediate stop to the interference in trade union affairs.
23 June, 2011Union organizers seek out agency workers to ensure they receive due wages. The work has resulted in substantial retroactive salary increases -- and new members.
