New research probes how workers in Southern Africa are reclaiming the Just Transition in critical minerals12 June, 2025Is the Just Transition in critical minerals industries veering towards greenwashing and how are workers mobilizing to redefine it? These questions anchor a pioneering study by IndustriALL Global Union’s Sub-Saharan Africa research team, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand’s Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS).
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.
Anglo American commits to dialogue with trade unions during demergers 16 April, 2025As Anglo American restructures and spins off major assets, unions are demanding firm guarantees: no rollback on workers’ rights. With demergers underway, unions from Australia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe met the company in Johannesburg to push for continued commitment to dialogue, a Just Transition, and protection under the existing global agreement.
Coal is dead, long live coal: strategies from Global South unions 1 April, 2025An online seminar on the future of coal on March 20 took place at a time when there is an intricate interplay of factors that include the opening of new coal mines, technological innovation, and geopolitical dynamics in the mining of coal. For countries in the Global South, coal accounts for about 70 per cent of energy generation capacity. Participants in the online seminar said Indonesia, and South Africa, get most of their energy from coal while Zimbabwe uses coal in its energy mix.
Africa: Trade unions strategize on economic transformation and social justice 4 March, 2025Trade unions want to be involved in policymaking to become some of the actors that will change Africa’s narrative from war, poverty, natural disasters and unemployment, to one of economic transformation and development. The call came during discussions at the 15 ITUC Africa New Year School in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, 25-28 February.
Why human rights due diligence is crucial for African industrialization 5 November, 2024Discussions at the human rights due diligence and African industrialization conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23-24 October concluded that workers and human rights were crucial for the continent’s economic development.
Trade unions want a developmental approach to business and human rights in Africa 17 October, 2024In discussions at the 3rd African Business and Human Rights Forum, Nairobi, Kenya, 8-10 October, trade unions said a developmental approach to business and human rights that supported economic development and industrialization is necessary. They argued that this approach is needed because the continent continues to face challenges of poverty, inequality, unemployment, and climate change’s extreme weather events that include floods and droughts which are devastating communities.
New centre for Tunisia’s women garment workers 26 September, 2024A new women’s centre has opened in Tunis to support female workers in Tunisia’s textile and garment industry. Run under the auspices of Fédération Générale du Textile, de l'Habillement, Chaussure et Cuir - FGTHCC-UGTT and IndustriALL and sponsored by online retailer ASOS, the centre will support female workers around gender-based violence and health and safety, training and campaigning for women-related matters, especially ratification of C190.
Malawi: Conference strategizes on skills training in just energy transition20 September, 2024A conference held in Lilongwe from 9-12 September on the just energy transition and skills development in the renewable energy sector highlighted both the unique challenges and shared experiences of most Sub-Saharan African countries as they developed strategies towards transitioning to low-carbon economies.
Making the textile and garment industry in MENA and Africa safer19 September, 2024Participants from unions representing textile and garment workers in Africa and MENA joined experts from the ILO, OECD, International Accord, as well as online brand ASOS for a conference on occupational health and safety in the textile and garment industry.
