A deadly night at sea: when dishonesty, legal gaps and unsafe practices cost workers' their lives19 January, 2026While New Year 2026 was being welcomed, tragedy struck in the ship recycling yards of Sitakunda. In the early hours of the morning—between 2:30 and 2:45 a.m.—two shipbreaking workers, Abdul Khalek Ratan (34) and Md Saiful Islam (38), were killed during the beaching of a vessel at the KR Ship Recycling Yard. Their deaths are not only a heartbreaking loss for their families, but a stark warning about the deadly consequences of unsafe night operations, weak regulation and employer dishonesty.
Union advocacy cuts mine worker fatalities in Pakistan in 202516 January, 2026After years of dangerous working conditions in Pakistan’s mines, reported accidents have declined in 2025, following sustained union pressure, the introduction of new safety legislation and targeted occupational health and safety measures in high-risk mining areas.
Six months after entry into force, the HKC still is not being implemented8 December, 2025Shipbreaking has often been described as the most dangerous job in the world and IndustriALL has long campaigned for the ratification of the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) as the most practical first step to clean up the industry. Supported by affiliates, together we maintained pressure on governments, ship owners, financiers and other industry stakeholders to promote the Convention. Despite these efforts and despite formal ratification not one of the major ship recycling nations has fully implemented the Convention in practice.
Rubber and tyre workers discuss the future of the sector in the Americas3 December, 2025Trade unions from Latin America, the United States, Canada and Mexico are working on a joint strategy in response to local, regional and global challenges. From 24 to 26 November, the International Trade Union Conference to defend the gains in the rubber and tyre sector was held in San Luis de Potosi, Mexico, providing a crucial opportunity to discuss the changes in the sector and strengthen coordination between the unions in the region.
50 mineurs au moins tués dans l'effondrement d'un pont au Congo; les syndicats exigent que des mesures soient prises20 November, 2025Le tragique effondrement d'un pont à la mine artisanale de cuivre et de cobalt de Kalando, à Mulondo, dans la province de Lualaba, le 15 novembre 2025, qui a fait au moins 50 morts et des dizaines de blessés ou de disparus, rappelle cruellement les risques et les dangers auxquels s'exposent les travailleurs de l'extraction minière artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE)en République démocratique du Congo (RDC).
Unions strengthen collaboration across Dow, DuPont and major chemical producers23 October, 2025Union representatives from the chemical sector came together to discuss shared challenges across the sector, from workplace safety and training to the growing influence of artificial intelligence on industrial jobs.
Bangladesh ratifies key ILO Conventions on safety and gender equality following long union campaign23 October, 2025Bangladesh has become the first country in South Asia to ratify ILO Conventions 190, 155 and 187, addressing violence and harassment, occupational safety and health (OSH), and the promotional framework for OSH. The ratifications come after years of sustained campaigning by IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates, supported by global partners, to secure stronger protections for workers and legally binding safety commitments.
Fire in Bangladesh’s garment factory claims 16 lives20 October, 2025Last week, Bangladesh witnessed two massive fire incidents in garment factories located in Dhaka and Chattogram, bringing the question of industrial safety, particularly building safety standards in readymade garment sector, back into the spotlight.
Indonesia: seven Freeport workers killed at a landslide at Grasberg14 October, 2025After a month-long rescue mission, the bodies of seven Indonesian and migrant workers were discovered on 5 October at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg mine. The workers had been trapped underground following a landslide on 8 September, when an estimated 800,000 metric tonnes of mud suddenly flowed into the cave.
South East Asian unions unite for worker safety17 September, 2025On 11 September 2025, eleven members of the occupational health and safety (OHS) ad hoc committee from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines convened in Phnom Penh to develop a roadmap for a comprehensive safety and health campaign for 2025–2026.
