300 brands commit to worker safety—but the real test lies ahead16 September, 2026300 garment brands and retailers have now signed the International Accord. The legally binding agreement on worker health and safety across textile and garment factories covers over 3.4 million workers across 2,000 factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Court victory stops Ekapa Minerals liquidation13 August, 2026The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has won a major High Court victory in Kimberley. The ruling stops the liquidation of diamond mining company Ekapa Minerals, putting it under business rescue to protect jobs.
FESITEX Nicaragua secures benefits for 249 workers10 August, 2026FESITEX, Nicaragua's national federation of textile, clothing, leather and footwear trade unions, has won an agreement with BTF, securing outstanding benefits for 249 workers made redundant in 2025.
NUMSA strike forces First Battery to review retrenchments6 August, 2026A 17-day strike at a battery plant in East London, South Africa, ended with an improved settlement. The agreement also provides for a review of the selection criteria and a joint indaba on the company's future.
Zimbabwe: Supreme Court reinstates 135 sacked Waverley Blankets workers23 July, 2026On 13 July 2026, Zimbabwean textile workers won a major Supreme Court victory after Waverley Blankets dismissed 135 workers for refusing to give up their permanent contracts.
ICJ rules the right to strike is protected under international law21 May, 2026The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a landmark advisory opinion confirming that the right to strike is protected under ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association. This is a massive win for workers worldwide and the result of more than a decade of campaigning by IndustriALL Global Union and fellow global unions.
Thirteen years on: the Accord that changed an industry23 April, 2026On 24 April 2013, garment workers in Dhaka arrived for another shift at Rana Plaza. The cracks in the walls had been visible the day before. Workers raised the alarm and were told the building was safe. Within hours, all eight floors had collapsed, killing 1,134 people, most of them women, and injuring thousands more.
Chattanooga’s 97 per cent victory: How workers won dignity and power25 March, 2026When workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga voted by 97 per cent to ratify their first union contract, it was more than a historic number. It was a declaration of dignity.
French court holds Yves Rocher accountable for workers’ rights violations in Türkiye13 March, 2026The Paris Judicial Court has delivered a landmark ruling finding that the Yves Rocher Group failed to comply with its obligations under France’s Duty of Vigilance Law in relation to labour rights violations at its Turkish subsidiary.
Shifting gears in Chattanooga: VW workers drive home landmark contract20 February, 2026In a resounding victory for autoworkers in the US South, more than 3,000 workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant have voted by 96 per cent to ratify their first-ever union contract.
