18 January, 2012European shipping companies export hazardous waste to developing countries to avoid the costs of proper disposal. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a coalition of environmental and labour organizations, calls on the EU Commission to act and prevent toxic waste trade of European end-of-life ships.

17 January, 2012Master Courses in Labour Policies and Globalisation are about to start in Germany and India. Trade unionists and labour activists are invited to apply.

12 January, 2012Berne Declaration and Greenpeace launch the Public Eye Awards, a project where the public votes for the companies with the worst corporate practices in 2011.

2 February, 2012Belgian trade unions organized a general strike on January 30 and called on leaders attending the European Union Summit in Brussels to move away from austerity measures and start boosting growth and employment.

31 January, 2012Almost 90,000 people participated in the online Public Eye awards for the worst company 2012. The People's award went to Vale with 25,042 votes and British Barclays received the jury prize.

30 January, 2012"After three years of continuous crisis conditions in global labour markets and against the prospect of a further deterioration of economic activity, there is a backlog of global unemployment of 200 million," says ILO in its annual report, "Global Employment Trends 2012: Preventing a deeper jobs crisis".

12 January, 2012A delegation of locked-out workers from Cooper Tire in the USA meets Serbian union leaders to discuss common approaches and mutual support when dealing with the company.

11 January, 2012IMF calls on governments to accelerate incentives for manufacturing industries, in particular steel, as an effective means to boost the prosperity of economies in the face of uncertain conditions for steelworkers in 2012.

11 January, 2012The German and French trade unions affiliated to the IMF make a joint statement on the industrial future in Europe. They appeal to the French and German governments and the European Commission to strengthen the industrial base and secure employment in the European industry.

10 January, 2012Mining giant Rio Tinto Alcan locked out union workers at its Alma smelter in Quebec from January 1, when the union contract expired.