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.
24 August, 2011On August 18 local Section 309 of the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM) at the mine La Platosa in the state of Durango, Mexico reached an agreement with the management of Excellon de Mexico S.A. de C.V. a subsidiary of the Canadian owned mining company Excellon Resources Inc.
6 September, 2011On September 1 approximately 100 independent and democratic unions and groups took part in two mass-based actions in Mexico City: the "national day of indignant Mexicans" and a rally outside the lower house of congress.
21 November, 2011As part of the project to strengthen unity among IMF affiliates in Chile, a national evaluation seminar has set objectives for 2012.
8 December, 2011November 23-25 the Gerdau Workers' World Council met in Paipa, Colombia. The Council approved an action plan for 2011-2012 that will be distributed shortly to all unions belonging to the Council.
8 December, 2011The US tire and rubber company on November 28 announced that it would lock out 1,051 unionized workers at its plant in Findlay in the state of Ohio, USA. The United Steelworkers (USW) and its Local 207L condemned the move and on December 6 filed charges with the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) against the company for unfair labour practices in bargaining.
8 December, 2011IMF delegates gathered from different parts of the world at the Central Committee meeting in Jakarta to evaluate the work over two years since its last meeting, and to discuss the issues of precarious work and social security, and the future of the new global union.
8 December, 2011IMF affiliate Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines (MWAP) and the Philippine Metalworkers Alliance (PMA), presented a united front to their Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE). A commitment to engage in joint actions was made by both unions at the IMF National Leadership Workshop for the first time.
