Sadly and as I have repeatedly reported on in my blogs, Turkish workers, their unions and wider civil society are under constant attack from their ever autocratic government. The latest example of…Read more…
Colombia’s bloody peace process
It is a bitter irony that given Colombia is engaged in a peace process the number of politically motivated killings has increased of late In the period 21 February 2016 to 18 March 2016 a total of 30…Read more…
TUC backs Brazilian unions: no to the coup!
You may have seen some stories in the media about political developments in Brazil, where the forces who used to dominate the country while it was under military dictatorship and then in the years…Read more…
Cambodian bosses & politicians hope to get away with new labour law
After prolonged international pressure from both unions and multinational corporations, the Cambodian Parliament split on party lines to adopt a new labour law that falls far short of International…Read more…
Brexit won’t save UK steel – The government could already do much more within the EU
Tata Steel, the second largest steel producer in Europe, employs thousands of British workers. Its plan to sell its UK assets has kicked the UK’s steel industry crisis up a gear, with up to 40,000…Read more…
Amnesty International report finds abuse still rife as Qatar & FIFA make excuses
Amnesty International has poured cold water on Qatar’s claims to be protecting workers on FIFA World Cup projects, exposing a litany of abuses faced by people refitting the Khalifa International…Read more…
Remain campaigners need a more ‘inclusive’ message
The House of Lords’ European Union Committee, chaired by Lord Boswell, issued a report yesterday arguing that the Government needed to “set out a positive, inclusive vision of the…Read more…
Iraq trade unions back the ‘white shirts revolution’
Last Friday, the Iraqi Teachers Union (ITU) openly endorsed the actions of students and teachers across Iraq (known as the ‘White Shirts Revolution’) who are standing up for justice, fair…Read more…
Solidarity with Turkish teacher unions
This Easter, the NASUWT 2016 International Solidarity Award went to the Turkish teachers’ trade union Egitim Sen, for its bravery in standing up for justice, democracy, labour and trade union…Read more…
Iranian teacher unions – good & bad news
Despite returning to the international community and the victory for moderates in the Parliamentary elections a month ago, life gets no better for trade unionists in Iran. As UK teacher unions hold…Read more…
Unions & brands press Cambodia over union law
A global union campaign to ensure fair labour laws in Cambodia has won the support of multinational brands and NGOs. IndustriALL and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) are supporting…Read more…
Stand up to Racism demo: refugees welcome
On Saturday 19 March thousands of people will join the Stand up to Racism demonstration and rally in Central London to voice their opposition to inhumane way that the government has dealt with the…Read more…
USA & right-wingers: looking for regime change in Venezuela?
Last week, Venezuela’s right-wing opposition launched a new campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power, including by calling for his immediate resignation. The last campaign to oust the…Read more…
Women workers & the EU referendum
Frances O’Grady addressed the TUC Women’s Conference in London on Wednesday 9 March. Here is an edited version of the section of her speech that focused on the EU referendum, and the…Read more…
South Africa: the long campaign for justice for silicosis sufferers
The announcement of a settlement for 4,365 former gold miners in South Africa suffering from silicosis is welcome news. Anglo American South Africa and AngloGold Ashanti have agreed to put up to 464m…Read more…
Swaziland’s feudal dictatorship blocks public sector pay protests
If you think the Tory attempts to prevent unions opposing cuts in the public sector through the Trade Union Bill are bad, spare a thought for the public sector unions in Swaziland, sub-Saharan…Read more…
Iran: what does ending sanctions mean for workers?
Iran is returning to the international community, as the nuclear weapons programme is ended and sanctions are being abandoned. Throughout the diplomatic standoff, unions globally and here in the UK…Read more…
Victory for the Airbus 8: to strike is not a crime!
Earlier this month, thousands of trade unionists marched in Madrid, Spain under the slogan “to strike is not a crime” to show solidarity with eight trade union activists on trial for…Read more…
Government pledges to reverse anti-union laws
No, it’s not April Fool’s Day yet, not a prediction for a future Britain. It’s the new Canadian Liberal Government of Justin Trudeau, and the new Minister of Employment, Workforce…Read more…
Qatar World Cup dream is a nightmare for workers
I had heard a lot about the exploitation of the migrant workers building Qatar’s World Cup dream. But nothing prepared me for the shock of seeing it first hand on a UNITE delegation last week…Read more…