13 September, 2011Organizing new workers is never easy but in the United States it's tougher than most places. Participants at an Alcoa Global Unions meeting got to experience first- hand the challenges facing the US unions. The attendees from unions in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Brazil, Suriname, and United Kingdom, took part in an organizing drive assisting the United Steelworkers (USW) as part of their activities. The target company Traco is a subsidiary of Alcoa and employs around 450 workers. Incidentally "Here we go again" was the title of union busting materials Alcoa used in one of its plants and seems apt to use during this organizing drive.
15 September, 2011Fujitsu workers launch a 24 hour strike in Manchester and Crewe over pay disputes and discrimination against a union representative.
15 September, 2011On August 27-28 the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) and the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW) held a workshop in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, for union activists from an array of plants in the region.
23 September, 2011Workers of the Zaporozhye Ferroalloy Plant in Eastern Ukraine picketed in front of the government office in Kiev protesting against job cuts at the plant. Their union works closely with local and national authorities to find a solution to the acute jobs crisis.
22 September, 2011On September 20 the Swedish metalworkers' union IF Metall filed a bankruptcy petition against the ailing Swedish automaker SAAB at the local district court. The decision was taken unanimously at a video conference meeting of the IF Metall office, the Trollhättan local and the SAAB section.
10 February, 2011LabourStart launches Act NOW campaign on trade union rights in Mexico in support of the global days of action called by IMF, ICEM, ITF, UNI and ITUC and taking place from February 14 to 19.
10 February, 2011High Court questions employer and government authorities following the massive explosion at the Bangladesh Shipbreaking yard on January 18, that killed four people and injured many more.
10 February, 2011The International Metalworkers' Federation joined with other labour and rights groups in taking further steps to protect the rights and safety of workers, Mexican Miners' Union members and labour rights activists at Johnson Controls in Puebla, Mexico.
24 February, 2011Los Mineros (SNTMMSRM) and the Mexican Electrical Workers (SME) announce historic alliance to strengthen and expand democratic labour movement in Mexico.
24 February, 2011The International Metalworkers' Federation calls on its affiliates for submissions to the Global Union Labour Film Shorts 2011, a one hour line-up of the best short films from around the world focused on unions fighting back against austerity cuts. The line-up will be released in June online and in DVD. Submission deadline is 1 April 2011.
