The world is experiencing growing inequality. Unless we take action, we risk losing the gains we have made over the past century. For 7 October this year, World Day for Decent Work, IndustriALL and affiliates are taking coordinated global action to demand a better future.

An IndustriALL trade union network meeting on 8 September in Johannesburg urged Glencore to be consistent in implementing global policies that protected workers and human rights, community interests, and the environment.

Environmental workers at mining sites are often on the fringes of mining activities, but with more focus now being given to environmental, social and governance issues, their important work is becoming visible and getting more recognition.

On International Equal Pay Day, 18 September, IndustriALL calls for Pay Equity Now! Equal pay for jobs of equal value is a recognized human right, enshrined in international conventions. And yet, the gender pay gap remains a persisting and global problem and stands at an average of 20 per cent across the world.

A long-awaited independent report has confirmed IndustriALL Global Union’s position that it is not possible to conduct responsible business in Myanmar. IndustriALL has written once again to brands sourcing from Myanmar, urging them to begin negotiations on a responsible exit.

Five unionists, including two from IndustriALL affiliate Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar (IWFM), were violently attacked and arrested by military security officers in Yangon on 13 September.

After a strike for living wages and personal protective equipment, workers at Future East Africa Cooperation (FEAC) negotiated a collective bargaining agreement to improve wages and health and safety at work.

Workers across the globe face soaring inflation, supply chain disruptions and a climate crisis. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the inflation rate in March 2022 was more than double that of March 2021.

Argentina’s Senate has unanimously approved a bill to promote the automotive industry. The initiative was spearheaded and supported by IndustriALL affiliates in the country.

Malaysia’s Electronics Industry Employees’ Union Northern Region (EIEUNR) is launching an online petition to call on Apple supplier Molex to stop union-busting and to respect, workers' right to choose their own union and bargain collectively with the employer.

The ArcelorMittal global union network brought together over 70 trade unionists from 18 countries in a virtual meeting on 6-7 September to discuss social dialogue and health and safety.

Although Armenia ratified ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mines in 1998, there is still several pending issues. On 9-11 September, IndustriALL and the ILO held a health and safety workshop for the Trade Union of Miners, Metallurgists and Jewellers of Armenia, attended by representatives from the country’s labour inspectorate and directors from big mining and metallurgical companies.

11 September marks the tenth anniversary of the fire at Ali Enterprises, a readymade garment-manufacturing factory, in Pakistan. More than 250 people were killed and over 50 were injured in one of the world’s worst industrial fires. Although workplace safety remains a major concern, significant steps towards safer factories for textile and garment workers have been taken at a global level in the last year.

A contract worker died and four others sustained serious injuries after a gas leak at Aarey Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Maharashtra's Palghar district on 4 September.

Young unionists from Asia Pacific met on 2 September to discuss IndustriALL’s youth resolution. The young workers will prioritize eliminating gender-based violence and ensuring youth involvement in all negotiations concerning their future.

More than 25 trade unionists from Pou Chen production facilities in Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam met in Ho Chi Minh City on 30-31 August, committing to building solidarity and improving industrial relations.

At the Just Transition and the energy sector initiative’s fifth workshop on 31 August, trade unions discussed what they expect from a Just Transition in the oil and gas sector. Case studies from Europe and the Americas provided an overview of the massive challenges ahead. 

IndustriALL affiliate Federation of Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) has been subjected to police intimidation during the nationwide minimum wage negotiations for the garment and textile sector.

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Sub Saharan Africa is largely informal with over 13 million, mainly youth, working in the informal mines. In Zambia, ASM extracts cobalt, copper, gold, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, tin, zinc, nickel, and precious stones while in Ghana the main mineral is gold.

Pakistan’s mining industry is riddled with workplace safety violations and occupational disease. Exposure to coal dust leads to various health issues, including serious lung and heart ailments and spinal injuries. Add to that the dangers of methane gas poisoning, suffocation, underground explosions, or mine walls collapsing, leading to numerous fatalities every year.