9 October, 2025Given the central role that lithium plays within the global energy agenda, a seminar was held in Antofagasta, Chile, on how to strengthen unions in the lithium sector. The event, which ran on 30 September and 1 October, was attended by leaders of mining unions in Chile and Argentina. It was part of IndustriALL’s strategy to support its affiliates in the battery supply chain, in light of the continuing labour rights violations in the sector.
The seminar was organized by IndustriALL Global Union, with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Chile. Representatives from AOMA in Argentina, Industrial Chile Constramet and four other Chilean unions took part in the event.
Lithium is an essential mineral for the manufacture of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, electronic devices and energy storage systems and has turned Latin America into a key link in the global supply chain.
However, the sector’s growth has also brought urgent challenges when it comes to labour rights, regulation and social justice.
At the seminar, FES Chile project manager Arlette Gay said:
“FES plays a key role in promoting labour rights and environmental standards in global supply chains. Due diligence standards help to ensure that unions around the world can demand that their rights are respected and we are pleased to be contributing to building mining unions’ capacity to harness the potential of these new tools.”
The findings of a field study of the lithium sector in Argentina and Chile were also presented. The study, which was conducted with the support of FES, identified some of the power dynamics in the sector, with the aim of strengthening cross-sectoral union cooperation, empowering unions and using human rights due diligence tools to hold multinational companies accountable.
After two days of discussions, the Chilean unions agreed to work together to develop their own vision of how to overcome the fragmentation and lack of union power in the sector. Unions leaders from Argentina outlined actions they could take to strengthen labour and union rights and develop a strategy to promote greater added value and diversification. Participants also highlighted the importance of working together and ensuring better coordination between the two countries.
IndustriALL deputy regional secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Laura Carter, summed up the discussion:
“There are so many labour rights violations in the lithium sector. Supply chain strategies provide a major opportunity to improve respect for the rights of the workers who mine these critical minerals.”