9 February, 2012The European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers' Federation (EMCEF), European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) and the European Trade Union Federation for textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear (ETUF-TCL) will formally merge in Brussels on May 16, 2012.

6 February, 2012February Global Days of Action 2012 kicks off on February 19, in memory of the 63 miners killed in the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion of 2006. The initiative has been approved by the Council of Global Unions (CGU), as last year the affiliates are encouraged to act in co-ordination with sister organizations and their National Centres.

20 January, 2012Unilever workers stage ten-day strike actions at food and cleaning products company Unilever UK sites January 18-28 to protest against planned pension cuts. A strike fund has been launched.

20 January, 2012The complaint of the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union (SME) against their government will be considered in both Canada and the United States under North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) side agreement on labour cooperation.

6 February, 2012PKC workers want the National Miners' and Metalworkers Union (SNTMMSRM) to represent them but the company is imposing its own choice of union

1 February, 2012860 employees of an Electrolux plant in Satu Mare, northern Romania, went on an indefinite strike after the management refused to sign a new collective agreement with the same conditions for 2012.

14 February, 2012In a trial in Turin Eternit owners, Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, are found guilty in thousands of deaths and are sentenced to 16 years of jail. The case is unprecedented and can be exemplary for other producers and distributors of deadly asbestos worldwide.

9 February, 2012On February 7 workers of the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan went on indefinite strike. They demand compensation for rising contributions to the government insurance fund.

9 February, 2012After a five-year struggle for reinstatement, triumphant Kiryung Electronics workers march from "Seoul to Ssangyong Motor", making 16 stops along the way to show solidarity with workers at struggle sites before returning to the factory floor on May 1, 2012.

24 January, 2012Despite an improved performance in 2011 the Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) in ArcelorMittal plans to increase its efforts in 2012.