Strategic push for gender equality at IndustriALL’s 4th Congress5 June, 2025IndustriALL’s Women’s Committee met online on 26–27 May to start preparations for IndustriALL women’s conference and Congress in Sydney in November. It provided an opportunity to assess progress and evaluate systemic challenges.
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.
Health, safety, and Just Transition top the agenda at MENA oil and gas trade union meeting27 May, 2025On 27-29 April, the IndustriALL Global Union MENA oil and gas union network met in Istanbul, Türkiye, with the participation of unions from Iraq, Bahrain, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine and Türkiye.
Tunisia’s Parliament approves disputed labour law 27 May, 2025On 21 May, Tunisia’s Parliament passed a new law regulating employment contracts and restricting subcontracting. The law, referred to as the “subcontracting law,” introduces penalties, including potential imprisonment, for those hiring through outsourcing arrangements. It also replaces fixed-term contracts with open-ended ones, while allowing some exceptions. The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) reveals numerous shortcomings and loopholes in the new text and warns of repercussions on workers.
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.
South East Asia: Building youth power and more youth structures21 May, 2025Young union leaders from South East Asia are strengthing youth power and building more youth structures through strategic planning and collective action. From 16-19 May, 22 young activists from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam gathered in Manila for the second year of the FES IndustriALL South East Asia youth leadership academy.
Textile and garment unions in Asia-Pacific advance Just Transition agenda 21 May, 2025On 15-16 May, affiliates from the Asia-Pacific textile, garment, shoe and leather (TGSL) sector met in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a regional workshop on Just Transition. Organized by IndustriALL Global Union and Japanese affiliate UA Zensen, and hosted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), the event brought together more than 40 trade leaders to exchange experiences and strengthen solidarity within the sector.
