Gabon rig disaster kills five as union demands inquiry5 November, 2026Five workers are confirmed dead after Borr Drilling’s rig sank off the coast of Gabon on 24 October. The rig was preparing to drill for BW Energy.
Bangladesh: union leaders arrested as garment wage board meets5 November, 2026At least ten union leaders have been arrested in Bangladesh after weeks of protests by thousands of garment workers demanding a higher minimum wage, as the country’s Minimum Wage Board held its first meeting.
UniFirst targets union in Nicaragua6 October, 2026US workwear company UniFirst has launched legal proceedings to dissolve the union at its plant in Nicaragua, after 293 members resigned in less than a week and five were dismissed. Workers allege that management pressured them to leave the union. The case comes as US uniform giant Cintas prepares to acquire UniFirst.
Belarus: 25 freed, hundreds remain in chains23 September, 2026On 16 September, Belarus released 25 political prisoners. While their release is welcome, hundreds of others remain imprisoned, including trade union activist Vatslau Areshka.
OECD complaint filed over Mercedes-Benz labour practices15 September, 2026IndustriALL and the United Auto Workers have filed a formal complaint with Germany's OECD National Contact Point, demanding that the German government facilitate dialogue between Mercedes-Benz and the unions over workers' treatment in Alabama. The complaint alleges Mercedes-Benz has created an unacceptable divide between the labour standards it promotes globally and how it treats workers in its US operations.
Worker death sparks strike at Gafsa Phosphate Company over safety and unpaid bonuses7 September, 2026Workers at the Gafsa Phosphate Company in Tunisia went in strike for three days this week to demand improved health and safety conditions, implementation of previous agreements and payment of bonuses withheld for two years. The strike, which concluded on 3 September, with over 95 percent participation, follows the death of a worker on 22 August due to inadequate health and safety measures. The action was called by the Fédération Générale des Mineurs Tunisiens - FGMT – UGTT, affiliated to Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail UGTT and IndustriALL.
Shipbuilding and shipbreaking unions unite on global strategy3 September, 2026Delegates from across the shipbuilding and shipbreaking sectors met in Helsinki on 2 September for IndustriALL Global Union's Shipbuilding-shipbreaking action group meeting. Their imperative was clear: when capital organizes globally, unions must too.
Armenia: workers still waiting for court order to be enforced27 August, 2026Three years after winning their case in court, workers at Pure Iron Plant OJSC in Armenia still cannot exercise their trade union rights in practice. The plant's management has not fully implemented the court decisions that ruled in the union's favour at two levels of the Armenian court system.
YKK workers denied fundamental rights: brands must take responsibility27 August, 2026For over two years, 670 workers at YKK's Çerkezköy factory in Türkiye have been systematically prevented from exercising their basic right to unionize and bargain collectively. YKK management has used threats, coercion and disciplinary action to crush the union, despite workers' successful organization with Petrol-İş and the union's official recognition from Türkiye's labour ministry.
Combatting forced labour in the electronics sector through social dialogue11 August, 2026Migrant workers are among those most exposed to forced labour risks in the electronics sector. That was the finding of IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. They met with employers, government authorities and the ILO in July and August. Recurring issues across the industry included retention of identity documents, excessive recruitment fees and gaps in social security registration. Participants agreed on the need for stronger labour inspection. They also called for joint training on forced labour indicators across the electronics supply chain.
