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.
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.
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.
Mine workers prioritize health and safety29 July, 2026IndustriALL Global Union brought together affiliates from around the world on 28 July 2026 to address health and safety in mining as a priority. Participants called for faster ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 176 (C176) on safety and health in mines and for greater trade union involvement in risk assessment.
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.
Solidarity has never mattered more: unionists ahead of Durham Miners Gala10 July, 2026Today trade union representatives from across Europe and beyond gathered in Durham, England, for the joint industriAll Europe and IndustriALL Global Union international roundtable, “Sticking together – worker internationalism in volatile times.” The event brought together trade union leaders, activists and experts from different European countries and welcomed guests from Australia. Together they exchanged experiences, strengthened international cooperation and discussed how the labour movement can respond to the challenges facing workers in an increasingly uncertain world.
Gold is booming, miners are not benefiting1 July, 2026Gold prices are booming, but the workers who mine it say the boom has not reached them. That was the message from more than 50 trade unionists who joined IndustriALL Global Union's first Gold Sub-Sector Network meeting on 30 June 2026, a half-day virtual gathering bringing together affiliates from Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific to compare notes on subcontracting, safety and organizing rights.
Botswana diamond firm trampling on workers’ rights20 May, 2026The Botswana Diamond Workers Union (BDWU) has declared a formal dispute at Genesis HB Botswana, a diamond cutting and polishing company wholly owned by HP Antwerp, a Belgian diamond technology company. The Botswana government holds shares in HP Antwerp as part of its efforts to give the country a bigger stake in its own diamond industry.
International workers’ memorial day: when work breaks the mind as well as the body28 April, 2026Every year on 28 April, International Workers' Memorial Day calls us to remember those killed, injured or made ill by their work. This year, the crisis in focus is psychosocial risk, less visible than a chemical spill or a collapsed mine shaft, but no less deadly.
