Judgement stops blocking union access to workers in Australia5 July, 2011The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) won a definitive judgment from Fair Work Australia on 24 June that grants the union right of entry to lunch rooms at Rio Tinto's Alcan aluminium smelter in Bell Bay, Tasmania. The ruling ends months of legal wrangling and should serve as a precedent against employers from blocking legitimate union access to workers on job sites.
Bridgestone SA workers back at work28 May, 2011Workers at Bridgestone South Africa returned to work on May 19, ending an eight week lockout. National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) made the decision with workers after an unfavourable labour court ruling that deemed the lockout legal and with due regard to the hardships that the 1,200 workers endured during the lockout, going two months without pay.
KMWU exposes Yoosung union busting strategy28 May, 2011Over 3,000 riot police were sent to break up the sit-in protest of 500 workers at South Korean auto parts producer Yoosung Enterprise factory in Asan. According to a report received by the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU) this is part of a general union busting strategy applied by the company.
Empowerment comes from participation.8 March, 2011In celebration of International Women's Day the IMF interviewed two active women from the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Peta Thomson and Stephanie Eastcott who made the step from union members to workplace representatives
Indonesia metal unions target EPZs for organizing25 January, 2011More than seventy unionists attend three IMF-ILO ACTRAV workshops on EPZ organising in Indonesia.
12 Birleşik members detained by gendarmerie22 July, 2011MAS-DAF workers fight for reinstatement after being summarily fired for joining the Turkish union, Birleşik Metal-İş, were detained by gendarmerie in an effort to stop the union's second round of actions to force the government to intervene.
The GoodElectronics Network calls for sustainable IT27 April, 2011The GoodElectronics and makeITfair network prepare for an international day of action on May 7, 2011. The slogan is "time to bite into a fair Apple. Call for sustainable IT". They will call on consumers, member organizations, the media and other civil society organizations to join in the call for a "Fair Apple"
NEWU joins ZCTU in commemorating World Day for Decent Work17 October, 2011The National Engineering Workers Union (NEWU) joined the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and the labour movement across the globe in commemorating the World Day for Decent Work on the 7th of October under the theme: 'Save Our Rights, Save Our Economy and Our Jobs." This is the fourth time that Zimbabwean workers have held actions on this day having first done so in 2008.
Forty factories occupied in Uruguayan metalworkers' strike20 October, 2011The National Metalworkers' Union says it is not only fighting for a pay rise and a better quality-of-life for workers. It also wants to promote development of the economy and the workforce.
Austrian metalworkers negotiate 2011 wage terms18 October, 2011Broad strike activity accelerated a positive wage agreement in the Austrian metal sector. On October 18 Austrian trade unions PRO-GE and GPA djp, the Salaried Employees, Print, Journalism, Paper Union, emerged from bargaining on behalf on 170,000 metal and industrial workers with positive results.
