South African union and communities march against privatization of Eskom 16 December, 2021Hundreds of workers and affected communities marched to the offices of Eskom in Johannesburg on 11 December to protest the privatization of the public power utility which they say is leading to job losses for tens of thousands of workers and will make electricity unaffordable to poor communities.
FEATURE: Why does IndustriALL support sanctions in Myanmar? 15 December, 2021At its third Congress on 15 September 2021, affiliates to IndustriALL Global Union voted unanimously to support the campaign of comprehensive economic sanctions organized by the Myanmar Labor Alliance against the military junta in Myanmar. The campaign calls for disinvestment from the country, and for all companies operating there to cease operations and place no new orders.
PROFILE: Divided we beg, united we bargain, says Eswatini union14 December, 2021Some of the pillars that are key to building a strong union are workers unity and collective bargaining, says the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union. The union organizing strategy is anchored on fighting for the unity of workers, workers’ rights, and living wages. In that sense, the union is living up to its slogan: Divided we beg, united we bargain.
PROFILE: FESITEX united workers in Nicaragua14 December, 2021The National Federation of Unions of the Textile, Garment, Leather and Footwear Industries (FESITEX) in Nicaragua organize workers in textile, garment, leather and footwear companies at national level. FESITEX currently centres its attention on Nicaragua’s Free Trade Zones, organizing the so-called maquila workers. Some of the union’s main issues are negotiating ratification of ILO C190 and reform of the social security law.
IndustriALL and PSI renew global agreement with EDF10 December, 2021On 29 November 2021, the two global union federations, IndustriALL Global Union and Public Services International, signed a two-year extension of the global framework agreement (GFA) with the French energy multinational EDF. The GFA is now valid until July 2024.
“Working in Myanmar is like modern slavery”9 December, 2021Nearly eleven months into military rule in Myanmar, trade unions in the country say that the dictatorship must end immediately, as democratic rule is essential for protecting workers’ rights.
Union campaign pays off as Covid-19 vaccination rates hit 74% in South Africa’s garment sector8 December, 2021One of the unions leading the Covid-19 vaccination campaign for workers in South Africa is the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU). The union’s tireless awareness and educational campaigns for workers to take the jab and adhere to Covid-19 protocols are paying off.
O-I Glass worker dies after furnace leaks in Brazil2 December, 2021Brazilian glass workers’ union Sindicato dos Vidreiros held a two-hour protest on 1 December in São Paulo, Brazil, after O-I Glass worker Antônio Carlos Tola Júnior was killed in a preventable workplace accident.
South Africa submits documents to ratify ILO Convention 1902 December, 2021With women mineworkers raped and murdered underground, energy workers killed during night shifts whilst others are attacked and scarred for life with acid while at work, the South African workplace is a crime scene for gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH).
Stop union busting in Belarus1 December, 2021Independent unions in Belarus are under threat, as employers and state authorities use every chance to intimidate and dismiss independent union members, thus decreasing membership.
