20 February, 2012Job security and job creation was the foundation behind a new two-year national labour agreement between social partners in Denmark. That came together in marathon bargaining over the weekend, February 11-12, in framework talks for 240,000 Danish manufacturing workers and 6,000 enterprises, the latter represented by Dansk Industri.
20 February, 2012The Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) reject changes to labour law in Spain and start continuous mobilization. On February 19, hundreds of thousands of people went to the streets in 57 cities in their first major show of anger over the reforms.
7 March, 2012On March 5 members of the IMF and ICEM UK affiliate Unite the Union rejected a redundancy proposal from the Austrian packaging company Mayr-Melnhof that would have ended a 19-day lockout at a plant in Merseyside, near Liverpool. Workers rejected it largely because management still insists on its own discretionary powers in disbursing redundancy packages to 49 workers.
7 March, 2012In response to evidence of exploitation of workers producing goods for London 2012 Olympics, detailed in the new Playfair report "Toying with Workers' Rights", the organizers of the London 2012 Olympics signed an agreement with the Playfair 2012 campaign to protect the rights of workers in its supply chains.
7 March, 2012In October 2011 miners and metalworkers at ArcelorMittal Temirtau (Kazakhstan) demanded a 30 per cent wage increase. Their demands are still not met. On February 25 the workers held a conference and decided to hold a rally on March 10. They will also push for the changes in Kazakhstan laws, which prohibit strikes at plants with continuous working cycle.
1 March, 2012In support of the Global Days of Action, February 19 to 25, 40 unions from 35 countries called on the Mexican government to respect Freedom of Association by delivering letters, holding meetings and actions.
19 March, 2012ICEM affiliates and new independent unions debate Arab Spring and union rights at a regional conference in Beirut.
13 March, 2012Crowds of protesters were in the streets in Spain to protest new labour laws making it easier for employers to get rid of employees and block their demands for wage increases. Union organized demonstrations pave the way to the all-national strike planned for March 29.
13 March, 2012On 23 February NUMSA held its first ever Political Commission attended by President Jacob Zuma, COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and SACP CC Member Charles Setsebi. Whilst President Zuma was received with a rousing welcome, with song and dance in a beautiful marquee draped in red and yellow at the NUMSA building in Johannesburg's Bree Street, this was a very serious affair.
12 March, 2012Vowing to actively campaign for job security and workers' rights, Dave Oliver, AMWU National Secretary stands for election as Secretary of Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
