15 September, 2011In an unprecedented show of solidarity workers from Suzuki Powertrain India, Suzuki Castings and Suzuki Motor Cycle India started a sit-in strike from September 14 afternoon in support of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) Workers. All plants are located in the Gurgaon - Manesar area in the state of Haryana.
13 September, 2011ICEM and IMF renewed their global framework agreement with Umicore, the Brussels-based global materials technology group with some 14,400 employees. First signed in September 2007, the agreement has been the basis for joint union-management activities. Representatives of the company, both global union federations and the European Works Council conducted joint missions in China in 2008, in Brazil in 2009 and in South Africa in 2010 in addition to the regular monitoring activities defined in the agreement.
12 September, 2011The IMF's Communicators' Forum in Latin America was held in Brazil on 8-9 September. Delegates made progress in arranging the exchange of information between affiliates.
8 September, 2011From August 29 the management of Maruti-Suzuki India at Manesar asks workers to sign a "good conduct" pledge before allowing them to enter the plant, in effect locking out workers who refuse to give up their labour rights. Since then the management terminated 23 workers and suspended 34 on charges of misconduct and instigating workers to stop production.
6 September, 2011Australian union members of three trade union organisations are livid with the announcement that BlueScope Steel will lop 1,400 jobs in New South Wales and Victoria. Members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and the Electrical Trades Union of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (ETU-CEPU) met in Wollongong on 25 August and sternly moved to resist all restructuring until further labour-management consultations can occur.
2 November, 2011São Paulo metalworkers in the CNTM plan to strike unless employers make a new offer on pay and other demands by November 4.
28 October, 2011IMF affiliates from Central and Eastern Europe met in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 26-27, 2011 for the Regional Conference and Women's Workshop. They discussed pay gap between working men and women, women's participation in the new organization, the process of creating the new federation and cases of union rights violations in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Ukraine and other countries in the region.
27 October, 2011Unions should more actively organize young non-manual workers and students, and use social media as a powerful tool to connect youth and union leaders.
26 October, 2011Billed as a lead up to World Day for Decent Work, the Canadian Auto Workers union recently hosted two "Good Jobs Bad Jobs" round tables with visiting union delegations from Denmark and South Africa.
25 October, 2011The strike in the Finnish metal sector ended October 25 when the Metalworkers' Union and the salaried employees' union Pro approved the conciliation proposal of the State conciliator. YTN has not yet renewed its agreement. A strike of professional and managerial staff still threatens in the metal industry.
