Diamonds are forever, what about the jobs?2 September, 2026Lab-grown stones from China and India are tightening their grip on an industry that has supported regional development for more than half a century. For workers in Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, the resulting slump is personal with retrenchments and closures loom. But this month, unions from six countries united to meet major producers as one force. On 26–27 August in Gaborone, fourteen trade unionists forged a joint strategy. Their message: as the diamond industry faces this transition, workers' rights and jobs must remain non-negotiable.
Deploying human rights due diligence in African mines20 August, 2026Unions in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are using human rights due diligence as a bargaining tool to defend workers' rights, challenge unsafe working conditions and hold mining companies accountable. Rather than treating HRDD as a compliance exercise for companies, they are turning it into leverage at the negotiating table.
White-collar unions win recognition in Türkyie and South Africa18 August, 2026Two industrial unions have broken through barriers that kept white-collar workers out of collective bargaining, as digitalization and automation reshape manufacturing worldwide.
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.
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.
Union opposes De Beers plans to retrench 1,214 workers17 July, 2026The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is demanding De Beers exhaust alternatives before retrenching 1,214 workers at Venetia mine, which the company plans to close for two years.
South Africa: First Battery workers strike over retrenchments9 July, 2026Workers at First Battery downed tools on 6 July, after the company moved ahead with retrenchments of 165 workers despite union objections. First Battery is a South African automotive lead-acid battery manufacturer owned by the JSE-listed Metair Group.
South African autoworkers strike over wages at BAIC plant25 June, 2026Workers at Beijing Automotive International Company (BAIC)'s assembly plant outside Gqeberha Port Elizabeth, South Africa, are on strike after the company cut hourly wages by more than half following a two-month shutdown, in breach of national industry agreements. Members of IndustriALL affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) have been off the job for more than ten days.
Give workers a vision and they will help with solutions13 May, 2026In communities where workers are calculating whether their wages will cover transport costs and food prices, abstract climate narratives fall flat. What workers respond to is a concrete vision of something better, not a warning about calamity.
Class action lawsuit for South African coal miners22 April, 2026A landmark class action lawsuit seeks redress for tens of thousands of former coal miners and community members whose lives have been affected by exposure to coal dust and polluted environments in South Africa’s coal mines. The case, filed in the Gauteng High Court, targets South32, BHP Billiton PLC, and Seriti Power.
