20 May, 2011The United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to hold its 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Durban, South Africa from 28 November to 9 December 2011. This is a government negotiations space where there is limited room for engagement by civil society. However, civil society and organised labour is working hard to raise awareness on climate change issues and ensure that their voices are heard not only at COP 17 but at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012. The 2012 conference is known as Rio+20, as it is to take place 20 years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio where the concept of sustainable development was adopted by governments for the first time and which launched key political processes on sustainable development like the COP climate negotiations.
18 May, 2011Birlesik Metal-IS members protest the firings by marching from the factory gates to the company headquarters, a week-long, 219 km march from Duzce to Istanbul.
2 May, 2011Nokia announces plans to cut 4,000 jobs over the next two years, mostly in Denmark, Finland and the UK, and move a further 3,000 jobs when outsourcing its Symbian software operations.
1 May, 2011This May Day the International Metalworkers' Federation joins with the international trade union movement in calling for justice, equality, humanity and sustainability in a joint statement.
30 April, 2011In mid-April, more than 100 trade union delegates attended Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Organisation (SSARO) Conference of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) to elect regional leadership and discuss issues affected workers in the region. In keeping with the spirit of the proposed merger between ICEM, the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF), regional representatives of IMF and ITGLWF attended the conference in Accra, Ghana
29 April, 2011The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) releases report on working conditions in Asian sportswear supply chains. The report highlights how factories supplying multinational sports and garment brands are routinely violating labour rights.
27 April, 2011The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) welcomed the decision of the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) to issue a complaint against the Boeing company. The company was charged with illegal retaliation against Boeing employees in the Puget Sound area in Washington after their decision to relocate production to South Carolina.
9 May, 2011IMF joins Mexican Miners' Union's call for better health and safety at mines in Mexico and punishment of companies and government authorities after 14 die in a coal mine explosion in Mexico on May 3.
14 April, 2011Some 2,000 iron ore miners and pellet-plant workers in northern Québec, members of four United Steelworkers (USW) locals, came to excellent wage, pension, and work terms with ArcelorMittal Mines Canada.
9 February, 2012The Indonesian Constitution Court rules that outsourcing is against workers' rights as enshrined in the Constitution and, elsewhere in Indonesia, workers stage mass protests to successfully defend minimum wage increase decision.