The US Administration announced yesterday the imposition of import tariffs on steel and aluminium against several countries. IndustriALL Global Union reiterates its position, which is line with the Political Resolution adopted at the Second Congress, the Declaration on the Global Steel Crisis, and our statement made on 23 March, which clearly states our commitment to play a leading role within the global trade union movement and wider society to advocate our vision of fair global trade that works for all.

Members of IndustriALL Australian affiliate AMWU travelled to Dallas, Texas in the US, to attend ExxonMobil’s annual shareholders’ meeting on 30 May to raise concerns over the long-running conflict at the company’s subsidiary Esso Australia. However, once there the four workers were denied entry despite having the necessary documents.  

The Haitian government was denounced in the ILO’s Committee on the Application of Standards this week for its failure to to uphold international standards and national laws on working time and freedom of associaton.

IndustriALL’s steering committee meeting of the ICT, electrical & electronics (ICT, EE) industry was held in Mumbai on 28-29 May 2018. Union representatives from around the world discussed global industry trends; evaluated current activities and future strategies to strengthen union power and respond to challenges faced by the trade union movement.

Four IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), OTUC, CSC, TUMEC, and UNTC met at the Immaculata Convent, Kolwezi on 25 May, to discuss how they can build solidarity and work together against Glencore’s trampling of workers’ rights at Mutanda Mine and Kamoto Copper Mine (KCC), and to improve working conditions and win fair wages for the mineworkers.

With hundreds of jobs at stake, and the Langer Heinrich Uranium (LHU) mine in Erongo Province – close to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay – negotiating in bad faith, IndustriALL affiliate the Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN) has declared a dispute to get fair compensation for workers facing retrenchment.

Nurbek Kushakbayev, deputy chair of the KNPRK and labour inspector of the trade union of Oil Construction Company (OCC), was released from prison in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan on 28 May. His colleague Amin Yeleusinov, former chair of the OCC trade union, was released a week ago.

The International Labour Conference (ILC) today announced the list of 24 countries that will come under the scrutiny of the Committee on the Application of Standards for alleged violations of international labour Conventions. 

Today, global unions IndustriALL and PSI signed a global responsibility agreement with French electricity company EDF, covering all of EDF’s activities in 24 countries, combining compliance with international labour conventions. The agreement is designed to guarantee the development of a shared set of standards for the Group’s 160,000 employees whilst consolidating international social dialogue.

Amin Yeleusinov, former chair of the trade union of Oil Construction Company (OCC), was released from prison in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan on 22 May following a decision of the local court taken on 4 May.

Royal Dutch Shell’s executive board failed to give adequate responses to questions on serious violations of workers’ rights at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Tuesday. 

The STMicroelectronics trade union network has said that workers should benefit from the strong growth of the company. The network demands the resolution of social issues in the company’s operations, and global dialogue to secure sustainable jobs and global framework agreement.

Deep inside the mountain kingdom of Lesotho lies untapped treasure that is attracting global diamond mining capital.

Since April, Yves Rocher has dismissed a total of 115 workers at their Turkish subsidiary Kosan Kozmetik Pazarlama ve Ticaret AS for exercising their fundamental right to join a union.

90 trade union representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the Second Regional Conference of IndustriALL in Panama, to redefine its strategic plan and promote the participation of the affiliates in its implementation.

The Supreme Court of Russia overruled the verdict of the Saint Petersburg city court which on 10 January ruled to liquidate IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Interregional Trade Union Workers’ Association (ITUWA).

A meeting on “Organizing the international supply chain” in the textile and garment sector has kick-started much-needed social dialogue on wages and been met with approval from unions.

On 21 May, the former president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Han Sang-gyun was released from prison.

In September 2012, over 250 workers were killed and 50 more suffered serious injuries in a fire at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Karachi, Pakistan. Now, after almost six years, victims have started receiving compensation payments based on an agreement reached between German brand KiK and IndustriALL Global Union and Clean Clothes Campaign, mediated by the ILO.

Gerdau workers will escalate their coordination to achieve respect for workers’ rights at the company’s operations around the world.