14 September, 2011A first-of-a-kind collective agreement took root in Germany's solar energy manufacturing industry on 1 September. It was then that a labour contract took effect between IG Metall and three subsidiaries of Bosch in the state of Thuringia, making it the first collective agreement in Germany's solar power industry.
13 September, 2011TVT is a television channel run by the ABC Metalworkers Union, affiliated to the CNM/CUT. TVT is the first trade union television channel in Brazil.
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.
8 December, 2010Despite promising to respect human rights, Colombian President Santos' failure to stop the killings and the continuing violence in Colombia were the subject of a hearing held in Brussels on December 7, reinforcing the demands of unionists that the EU not sign a free trade agreement with Colombia.
2 December, 2010The IMF Executive Committee decides to continue process to create new international and commits to holding days of action from February 14 to 19, 2011 in support of democratic and independent Mexican unions.
2 December, 2010Numsa demands improvements in wages and working conditions from BHP Billiton and warns of strike action after three months of stalled negotiations.
2 December, 2010Unions representing workers across Siemens plants have formed the Siemens Employees' Federation to represent the interests of Siemens workers throughout India
1 December, 2010Calling for trade union rights in Mexico, the international trade union movement is holding various actions including rallies, meetings with Mexican ambassadors, and letter and mass email communication in at least 30 countries around the world from February 14 to 19, 2011.
1 December, 2010Some 670,000 German metal and electronics workers to get 2011 pay rises early, reports IG Metall.
22 December, 2010IMF has received reports of renewed attacks against trade unionists and activists these last days in Mexico. José Luis Solorio, General Secretary of the new democratic Honda union in El Salto, Jalisco was fired; Jorge Mora, elected trade union leader in the Platosa Mine in la Sierrita, Durango also fired and his co-workers intimidated; in Puebla, the office of labour activists CAT, Centre for Worker Support was ransacked and robbed. IMF calls on the affiliates to send strong protest letters to support the Mexican workers fighting for freedom of association and justice.
