Philippine government U-turns on 13th month pay after pressure from unions23 October, 2020The Philippine government has made a U-turn after previously saying employers economically constrained by Covid-19 would be allowed to defer the 13th month pay, after being slammed by IndustriALL Global Union affiliates the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), All Workers Alliance Trade Unions (AWATU) and Integrated Labor Organisation.
Italian workers fight against closure of Whirlpool in Naples22 October, 2020The Italian affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union, FIM-CISL, FIOM-CGIL and UILM-UiIL, representing workers of Whirlpool, a multinational that produces home appliances, are staging two days of protest action on 22 and 23 October. They demand a review of the company’s decision to close down its Naples site by the end of October 2020. The decision jeopardizes over 400 jobs.
Unions in solidarity with youth protests to stop police brutality in Nigeria22 October, 2020IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Nigeria are supporting the popular youth protests to stop police brutality in the country. The protests have seen thousands of youths take to the streets and are trending on social media under the hashtag #EndSARS.
Swiss to vote on holding multinationals responsible for supply chains22 October, 2020On 29 November, Switzerland will hold a nationwide referendum on the Responsible Business Initiative. A vote in favour of the initiative will make companies headquartered in Switzerland legally responsible for what happens in their supply chains.
Union wins right to organize in Myanmar through ACT guidelines20 October, 2020Since the global outbreak of Covid-19, ACT brands and IndustriALL have observed an increased level of union busting in the global garment and footwear supply chain. To protect and promote Freedom of Association in Myanmar, an ongoing collaboration between IndustriALL, Myanmar-based union IWFM and ACT brands plays a critical role in protecting workers’ rights.
Workers suffer harsh Covid-19 containment measures20 October, 2020Garment workers in Sri Lanka were herded off into quarantine by the army in the middle of the night following a rapid increase of infections. Unions say that this could have been avoided by forming the recommended health committees.
Indonesia: violent response to union strike 19 October, 2020Workers and unions in Indonesia who went on a national strike on 6-8 October after the country’s Parliament passed the controversial Omnibus law, were met with violence and arbitrary arrests.
Workers picket over violence and nepotism in Mongolia16 October, 2020The first ever picket in Mongolia’s energy sector gathered more than 20 workers at the state-owned Thermal Power Plant 2 SSH Co. (TPP2) on 12 October, with protestors raising their voices over violence against women union leaders and rampant nepotism in the company.
BHP continues to avoid dialogue with IndustriALL16 October, 2020During its virtual annual general meeting for shareholders and investors, mining giant BHP, the largest mining company in the world by market capitalization and a company that claims to operate with integrity and responsibility, refused to recognize its responsibility in the Cerrejón conflict.
Colombian organizations march in support of Sintracarbón15 October, 2020As the strike at the Cerrejón mine in Colombia is approaching 50 days, civil, social and union organizations marched in solidarity with the workers and the union, Sintracarbón.
