ILO sets decent work standards for recycling through tripartite deal4 June, 2025After years of union advocacy and an intense week of negotiations held from 5-9 May, in Geneva, the ILO published the policy guidelines for the promotion of decent work in recycling. The document, adopted by representatives of governments, employers and trade unions, will be submitted for consideration to the ILO Governing Body at its 355th session in November 2025.
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.
Human rights due diligence: an imperative for critical raw materials in the Global South 2 June, 2025The global transition to renewable energy systems has intensified demand for critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper, particularly from resource-rich regions in the Global South. This surge underscores the urgent need for robust human rights due diligence (HRDD) in mining operations, as emphasized during a webinar on 22 May.
From Belarus to biohazards: unions demand action at ILC 27 May, 2025The 187 member states of the International Labour Organization meet every year in June at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland. This year’s ILC starts on 2 June and will address possible new international standards on the protection of workers against biological hazards in the working environment and decent work in the platform economy.
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.
Implementing human rights due diligence in Türkiye's auto supply chains15 May, 2025Building on the momentum of the workshop held in November last year, key stakeholders in the auto sector from Türkiye and Germany met in Ankara on 28–29 April for the second meeting of the multi-stakeholder dialogue platform. The aim is to promote and implement the principles and instruments of HRDD, particularly in the world of work and regarding trade union rights.
United struggle key to advancing workers’ rights 8 May, 2025Workers in Bangladesh face mounting challenges, from poverty wages and unsafe conditions to attacks on union rights. During a visit last week, IndustriALL leadership reaffirmed solidarity with workers, urging unions to stand united in the fight for living wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. As labour reforms and international standards are debated, the call for a worker-led push for justice is more urgent than ever.
Union petitions parliament over workers’ rights violations at Fine Spinners6 May, 2025The Uganda Textile, Garment, Leather and Allied Workers’ Union (UTGLAWU) has petitioned the Parliament of Uganda’s committee on tourism, trade and industry, over gross abuse of workers’ and human rights at Fine Spinners Uganda.
IndustriALL and Sintracarbón call for meaningful dialogue with Glencore on production cuts at Cerrejón Colombia29 April, 2025IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliate, Sintracarbón, the union for coal mining workers in Colombia, are calling on multinational Glencore to engage in meaningful dialogue after it announced production cuts at Cerrejón Colombia.
The right to refuse unsafe work is still denied to too many28 April, 2025The right to refuse unsafe work without fear of retaliation is enshrined in ILO Convention 155. Yet in some of the world’s most hazardous industries, like mining and shipbreaking, this right is still far from reality. This year on 28 April, the World day for safety and health at work, IndustriALL reaffirms that workers’ health and safety cannot be left in the hands of the employers – workers must be able to ensure their safety through joint health and safety committees, and by exercising the right to refuse work they know to be unsafe.
