Soon after signing membership forms to join a union, 30 workers at Petro Oil Kenya Limited were dismissed while petrol and diesel stations where the union had majority members were outsourced. The Kenya Petroleum Oil Workers Union (KPOWU), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says it will fight against the workers’ and human rights violations and for the reinstatement of the workers.

IndustriALL affiliate in Mongolia is urging the parliament to reform the country’s labour code, standardizing miners’ duty roster to 14 days on and 14 days off to ensure mine safety.

Around 130.000 members from three Turkish metal unions, Türk Metal, Birleşik Metal-İş and Özçelik-İş, are determined to continue their struggle for a fair collective agreement after negotiations fail. Unions are planning a strike next month, if a solution is not found. 

The French multinational pharmaceutical market leader Sanofi employs IndustriALL members all around the world. The global union has facilitated network building activities amongst Sanofi workers’ unions for the past five years, and will continue to do so in 2020.

Ukrainian unions mobilized their members for a “STOP labour slavery” protest action on 15 January in Kiev against the new draft law On Labour introduced to parliament without prior consultation with unions.

The thyssenkrupp Elevator Group Works Council has written to the management of the troubled firmed urging them not to completely sell off the elevator business to raise funds.

Uruguay is the first country in the world to ratify the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Convention 190, which recognizes that violence and harassment in the world of work can constitute a human rights violation.

Close to 100 workers picketed outside the offices of power utility Eskom in Johannesburg today, demanding that the process of splitting the state-owned enterprise be stopped.

In a crucial step to continue to ensure Bangladeshi garment workers’ safety, the Accord Steering Committee has signed an agreement with the BGMEA on the transition to an RMG Sustainability Council, as well as the Memorandum and Articles of Association that establish the new body.

The Indonesian union movement is vehemently opposing a proposed bill on job creation, saying it will destroy workers’ welfare in near future. Nationwide protests are planned later this month, calling for the controversial bill to be scrapped.

From factory to parliament in South Africa.

The nation-wide strike on 8 January witnessed the massive participation of over 250 million working people across India. In many states protesting workers were detained, but the strike remained peaceful.

A few days after workers at Mizuno Plastic in Thailand established a union, 33 of them were fired.

With the assistance and solidarity support of the Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery and Manufacturing Workers (JAM), affiliated to JCM, the International Labor Union of Bhutan (ILUB) was established in Matsuyama, Japan, on 1 September this year.

Ukraine has a new draft labour law, which is in contravention of national labour law and international core labour standards, and will seriously undermine fundamental workers’ rights.

IndustriALL Global Union and the Building and Wood Workers’ International are disappointed with the performance, including the final statement of the Brazilian National Contact Point in response to their joint complaint  under the OED Guidelines against Vale S.A. and BHP Billiton.

On 3 December, the Shymkent court of Kazakhstan rejected the appeal of Erlan Baltabay, a former chairperson of Energy and Oil Workers Union "Decent Work" who was sentenced in June 2019 to seven years in jail on politically motivated charges never proven in court.

Nokia in Finland has terminated the employment of a shop steward following a protected strike. Nokia claims that he damaged the company by disconnecting devices prior to the strike action.

The IndustriALL Global Union Anglo American global network meeting in Johannesburg on 11-12 December agreed to pursue global dialogue with Anglo American at least twice a year, on issues the company faces with regards to mineworkers and communities.

More than 25 young leaders from Middle East and North African (MENA) countries met in Casablanca, Morocco, on 4-6 November to discuss how to promote youth issues in their unions and increase participation at national and regional levels. The meeting is part of a project aimed at empowering young trade union leaders in the region.