SPECIAL REPORT: Rio Tinto unsustainable business practice27 November, 2013Claiming to abide by good corporate practice, mining giant Rio Tinto’s behaviour includes major disputes with trade unions, communities, regulatory authorities, as well as over indigenous people’s rights.
Namibia: CNNC Rössing Uranium mine must reinstate nine dismissed union members21 January, 2021The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) is challenging the unfair dismissals of nine union leaders at Rössing Uranium mine and calling for their reinstatement. The union says besides the charges being spurious, due process was not followed and the disciplinary hearings that took place were a shamble.
2020: a year of carnage for Pakistan’s mineworkers7 January, 2021Pakistani mineworkers’ unions estimate that at least 208 workers were killed on the job in 2020. This trend seems set to continue this year, with a fatal accident on New Years’ Day, and two fatal accidents and a terror attack on 3 January. So far this year, 14 mineworkers have been killed.
Mining unions in the Philippines unite to build workers’ power18 June, 2018IndustriALL Global Union mining affiliates in the Philippines, together with other unions and workers’ representatives in the sector, have formed a network to advocate mine workers’ interests at the national and local level, following a workshop in Tagaytay City on 5-6 June.
Australia: 1,600 Alcoa workers strike over job security23 August, 2018Workers at five Alcoa sites in Western Australia have voted almost unanimously to take indefinite strike action after 20 months of negotiations with Alcoa failed to provide a guarantee of no forced redundancies.
Unions target Switzerland over Glencore25 June, 2015A group of IndustriALL Global Union affiliates from fourteen countries is appealing to Swiss citizens to hold mining multinational Glencore accountable for violations against workers at its operations around the world.
Switzerland under pressure from unions worldwide over Glencore7 July, 2015IndustriALL Global Union affiliates across four continents targeted Switzerland last week to pressure the country into holding mining giant Glencore responsible for worker violations abroad.
Madagascar workers fighting back against Sherritt14 July, 2015IndustriALL Global Union affiliates and independent unions in Madagascar are hitting back against Canadian mining and energy multinational Sherritt, which they accuse of violating trade union rights and breaching national legislation.
Rio Tinto telling lies on precarious work?30 April, 2015At Rio Tinto’s AGM in London on 16 April, Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh claimed that the company’s outsourcing strategy is all about responding to flexible market demands and accessing particular expertise. However, the global increase of the use of precarious labour at Rio Tinto in all regions of the world tells a different story.
Longstanding conflict in Burkina Faso far from over25 November, 2015110 agency workers at Nord Gold Bissa mine in Burkina Faso have been fired following a conflict with the agency employer Exterhum Africa, which has been going on for more than six months.