New research probes how workers in Southern Africa are reclaiming the Just Transition in critical minerals12 June, 2025Is the Just Transition in critical minerals industries veering towards greenwashing and how are workers mobilizing to redefine it? These questions anchor a pioneering study by IndustriALL Global Union’s Sub-Saharan Africa research team, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand’s Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS).
Glencore faces global scrutiny over ESG failures 3 June, 2025On 28 May a delegation comprising trade union representatives, NGOs, Indigenous leaders and affected community members from Colombia, Canada, South Africa and Switzerland convened at Glencore's annual general meeting (AGM) in Zug, Switzerland. Their unified demand: Glencore must address its persistent environmental, social and governance (ESG) shortcomings and engage in meaningful global social dialogue.
South Africa: Women miners stripped naked at Kopanang gold mine 22 May, 2025IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is condemning the dehumanising body searches that women miners are being subjected to daily at Kopanang gold mine - about 170 km southeast of Johannesburg.
Vaal reefs mineworkers remembered15 May, 2025In a sombre candle lit ceremony, over 300 workers, families and community members, representatives of mining companies, government officials and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members gathered in Orkney on 10 May to remember 104 Vaal Reef gold mineworkers who died in the worst elevator accident, in history, in 1995.
India: Coal workers' unions demand a Just Transition28 April, 2025On 14 April, IndustriALL and ITUC-Asia Pacific organized a consultation meeting in Kolkata with affiliated Indian coal mining unions to discuss energy policy and Just Transition, as the country prepares for the shift towards clean energy. This was followed by a roundtable meeting on 15 April between union leaders and employer representatives.
Wage theft at Rio Zimbabwe starves mine workers10 April, 2025Over 2,000 workers at Rio Zim have not been paid wages for over five months and the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) says the workers and their families are on the verge of starvation as they do not have money to buy food and other basics.
Call to protect workers' rights in Zambia’s mineral sector8 April, 2025Research findings are concluding that in the absence of strict adherence to international labour standards and national labour laws, the critical transition minerals boom in Zambia runs the risk of increasing workers’ rights violations and environmental degradation.
South African mineworkers fight to save diamond mining jobs20 March, 2025The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is fighting to save jobs after Petra Diamond Mine issued notices to retrench 468 workers at Finsch and Cullinan mines.
Where are workers now, three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?27 February, 2025For decades, Ukraine’s coal miners have been the backbone of the nation’s energy sector, fueling homes, industries and progress with their labour. But today, their struggle is not only for fair wages and working conditions it is for survival, dignity and the hope of rebuilding their shattered lives. Among them, the Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers of Ukraine (Ukrvugleprofspilka) an IndustriALL affiliate—stands as their last line of defense, fighting for their rights in this harsh reality.
Critical transition minerals key to African development 6 February, 2025Discussions on the potential of critical transition minerals in anchoring Africa’s economic development and industrialization were amongst the most topical issues discussed at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, 3-6 February.
