Concerns over trade union rights at Schindler operations in Türkiye
According to reports from the trade union Türk Metal, several workers who played an active role in organizing have been dismissed in recent months, including experienced employees with long service. These dismissals have reportedly been justified on the grounds of downsizing, despite indications that recruitment has continued at the same time.
There are also allegations that workers have been subjected to pressure and intimidation aimed at discouraging union membership. Reports suggest that workers have been warned of possible negative consequences should they maintain their union affiliation.
These developments are of particular concern given that collective bargaining negotiations began in February 2026. A stable environment based on trust and good faith is essential to ensure that negotiations can proceed meaningfully and that workers are able to exercise their rights without fear.
International standards and corporate responsibilityare violated
If confirmed, such practices would be inconsistent with internationally recognized standards on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, including those set out in International Labour Organization Conventions 87 and 98.
They would also raise concerns under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which set out the responsibility of companies to respect fundamental labour rights and prevent adverse impacts in their operations.
Schindler has made public commitments in this area through its Code of Conduct, Human Rights Policy and participation in the UN Global Compact. The company has also identified freedom of association and collective bargaining as salient human rights risks in its own reporting, making the reported situation particularly concerning.
Unionsdemand action
In response to these developments, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union have written to Schindler, calling on the company to ensure full respect for trade union rights at its operations in Türkiye and to guarantee that collective bargaining can take place in a constructive and good faith environment.
“A stable environment based on good faith is essential for meaningful negotiations. Any actions that undermine workers’ ability to freely organize and bargain collectively risk damaging not only the process, but the long-term sustainability of industrial relations,”
said Atle Høie, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary.
“The situation described raises serious concerns about the implementation of the company’s own commitments. Companies must ensure that their operations fully respect workers rights, collective bargaining rights and the right to organise. Any form of pressure or intimidation is an attack on trade union rights and we stand firmly against this,”
said Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll European Trade Union general secretary.
The unions have requested clarification from the company on the situation and the measures being taken to ensure respect for workers’ rights. They have also reiterated their willingness to engage constructively with Schindler at all levels.
ILO adopts conclusions on artificial intelligence in the manufacturing industry: an important step towards placing decent work at the center of technological transformation
This meeting was initiated by IndustriALL with a clear objective: to open an international tripartite space on an issue that is already transforming production, employment and working conditions.
To this end, the workers’ group brought together affiliates and trade union experts from Argentina, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Sweden and the USA, all representing different sectors of the manufacturing industries, together with the participation of industriAll Europe as advisers, bringing concrete experience of how AI is already entering workplaces.
Throughout the week, the workers’ group defended one central idea: AI cannot be addressed only as a matter of innovation or competitiveness. It is also a question of rights, health and safety, work organization, social protection, equality, privacy, collective bargaining and the distribution of the benefits of technological progress. This perspective is reflected in the conclusions that were ultimately adopted. The text recognizes that AI is already transforming manufacturing at different speeds and in uneven ways across countries, industries, enterprises and workers and that its effects on employment, work organization, wages, work intensity, privacy and data protection must be addressed through policy action and social dialogue.
One of the most important outcomes is that the conclusions place the discussion within the ILO’s human-centred approach. The text states that AI must contribute to decent work, productivity and a just transition and must not develop outside those objectives. It also reaffirms that the fundamental principles and rights at work remain fully applicable in the age of artificial intelligence, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, non-discrimination and occupational safety and health.
The conclusions also consolidate the central role of social dialogue. They recognize that freedom of association and collective bargaining are essential to shaping the AI, digitalization and employment policies that will define the future of manufacturing. They also establish that workers must be informed, involved and consulted in a timely manner when AI systems likely to affect them are introduced.
In the area of training and reskilling, the adopted text strengthens the idea that skills development is a shared and continuous responsibility of governments, employers and workers. It includes references to technical and vocational education and training, lifelong learning, digital literacy and the link between education and access to quality jobs. This provides a useful basis for continuing to defend training as a right rather than an individual burden.
Another relevant advance is social protection. The conclusions refer to rights-based social protection systems and to universal access to adequate, comprehensive and sustainable protection for workers in all types of employment. They also recognize the need to strengthen labour administration and labour inspection, which is fundamental to ensuring the practical implementation of standards.
The final text also includes important references to privacy and data protection, to new OHS risks and to the need for the benefits of technological progress to be broadly shared. In other words, productivity is not presented as an end in itself, but as linked to wages, working conditions and employment.
The conclusions also reaffirm the existing international normative framework, including the ILO declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work, the centenary declaration, the tripartite declaration of principles concerning multinational enterprises, the guidelines for a Just Transition and the ILO code of practice on the protection of workers’ personal data. This explicit reference to the existing body of norms is important because it places the discussion on AI within a broader architecture of rights and corporate responsibility, including across the supply chain.
This meeting now leaves a concrete basis for further developing this agenda in coming years. The adopted conclusions task the ILO Office with strengthening data collection, action-oriented research and the dissemination of good practices and case studies, including collective agreements, on the impact of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing industry. They also foresee greater exchange of experience across countries and sectors, as well as stronger capacity building and technical assistance for constituents.
For IndustriALL, this is an important step. We have succeeded in securing an ILO text that recognizes that artificial intelligence in manufacturing must be addressed through decent work, labour rights, social dialogue, training, social protection and a broad sharing of the benefits of technological progress. At a time when the transformation is moving very quickly, these conclusions open up a future work agenda that will allow trade unions to continue advancing AI governance that places workers at the center.
Kan Matsuzaki IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:
“These conclusions are a very important step because they allow us to move towards governance frameworks for artificial intelligence where, in many countries, regulation remains insufficient or non-existent. Technological transformation must not be allowed to outpace regulation, workers’ protection or social dialogue; it must be governed in a way that guarantees decent work and secures a just transition.
Thirteen years on: the Accord that changed an industry
It was not an accident but the outcome of an industry that had spent decades treating workers’ safety as someone else’s problem. It was also, ultimately, a turning point.
Built from the rubble
Three weeks after the collapse, IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union sat down with international garment brands. What they negotiated had never existed in the industry before: a legally binding agreement holding brands directly accountable for safety in their supply chains.
The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety came into force in May 2013, signed by 43 brands from 13 countries. Its logic was straightforward and radical at the same time — that brands profiting from cheap labour in faraway factories could no longer outsource responsibility for what happened inside them.
What followed has been measurable, documented change. Over 48,000 factory inspections have been carried out so far, checking compliance with fire, electrical, boiler and structural safety standards. The remediation rate stands at 81 per cent. More than 2.5 million workers have been trained in workplace safety, including gender-based violence prevention. Over 1,831 complaints have been successfully resolved through enforceable grievance mechanisms. Around 12,632 workers now serve on factory safety committees in Bangladesh.
The path has not always been smooth. Legal challenges from factory owners threatened the Accord’s ability to operate in Bangladesh. Negotiations to renew the agreement were protracted and at times precarious. Some brands dragged their feet, and others left. But the framework held and it expanded.
From Bangladesh to the world
In November 2023, brands and trade unions renewed their commitments under a new International Accord. The agreement extended the model to Pakistan, where 351 factories were inspected by March 2026. Across both programmes, the International Accord now counts 297 brand signatories, covering around 2.5 million workers in Bangladesh alone.
The Accord also demonstrated something beyond its own borders: that binding, independently administered, transparent agreements deliver results where voluntary codes and self-regulation do not. That lesson shaped the global push for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation, culminating in the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in 2024.
The current International Accord runs until the end of 2026. Renegotiations are coming, and IndustriALL Global Union is clear that the next iteration must build on what has been achieved — not retreat from it. IndustriALL and its Bangladeshi affiliates are now working on its proposals to ensure that the scope of coverage and complaint mechanism are expanded. Trade unions also want to ensure that the governance structure works effectively.
Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:
“Thirteen years ago, 1,134 workers died in a building that should never have been occupied. What was built in response, through years of campaigning, negotiation and organized worker power, has saved lives and changed what the industry considered possible. The question now is whether brands will honour that by committing to a stronger Accord, or whether they will treat the renegotiation as an opportunity to water it down.
“For IndustriALL Global Union, the answer is not in doubt. The workers who make the world’s clothes deserve no less than what the Accord at its best has always promised: safety, accountability and a voice.”
ILO faces unprecedented financial crisis — workers’ rights hang in the balance
A crisis not of the ILO’s making
ILO director-general Gilbert Houngbo has described the situation as “serious” and “unprecedented in recent decades,” warning that it is “already affecting our ability to meet the expectations of our constituents.”
The cause is straightforward: member states are not paying what they owe. Arrears from several member states now total more than 260 million Swiss francs (US$295 million), approximately a third of the organisation’s biennial budget, pushing it into a serious liquidity crunch. According to reports, the United States, the ILO’s largest contributor providing 22 per cent of its regular funding, owes more than 173 million francs. China, Germany and others are also behind on payments.
Reform — but not retreat
The ILO has responded with a structural reform built around three pillars: reorganizing headquarters and reprioritizing its 2026–27 programme of work; reinforcing field capacity by reviewing regional structures and decentralising development cooperation; and consolidating support services and establishing a new global service centre.
But reform requires resources. According to internal documents reported by Reuters, without sufficient funding the ILO could be forced to cut up to 295 positions, around eight per cent of its global workforce. Gilbert Houngbo has confirmed that the organization has had to shut down some 50 projects in the United States and lay off around 200 staff as a direct result of the funding shortfall.
The ILO has also published a risk register and a live tracker showing which member states have paid their contributions and what remains outstanding — a public accountability tool that makes the problem impossible to ignore.
Why this matters for IndustriALL affiliates
The ILO is the only tripartite global body where unions sit alongside governments and employers to set binding international labour standards. Those standards — on freedom of association, collective bargaining, forced labour, child labour, occupational safety and health — underpin the legal frameworks that IndustriALL affiliates rely on every day.
IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie is unequivocal:
“The ILO is the cornerstone of the international system that protects workers’ rights. A funding crisis of this scale is not just a bureaucratic problem — it puts at risk the standards, the oversight and the technical support that workers in every sector and every country depend on. We call on all governments to honour their commitments and pay their dues without delay.”
A diminished ILO means weaker standard-setting, less support for ratification and implementation of conventions, and reduced capacity to hold governments and employers to account. At a time when human rights due diligence frameworks are under political attack and multilateralism is being eroded, a financially crippled ILO is the last thing workers can afford.
What unions must do
The fix is simple, even if the politics are not: governments must pay what they owe.
IndustriALL calls on all affiliated unions to raise this issue urgently with their governments. Demand that your government pays its assessed contributions to the ILO in full and on time. The ILO’s ability to function — to protect workers, to set standards, to provide technical assistance — depends on it.
Class action lawsuit for South African coal miners
The South African coal miners class action lawsuit focuses on lung diseases such as coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, silicosis, tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease whose conditions have long been associated with coal mining. For most workers, the consequences have been devastating and include the loss of employment, permanent disability and premature death. In the coal towns of Mpumalanga, dust has settled for decades on roofs, roads and lungs, leaving a legacy of illness that stretches across generations. Notably, the South African coal miners class action lawsuit seeks justice for those impacted by these diseases.
Fight for health and safety
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, argues that the lawsuit by human rights lawyer Richard Spoor, is important to workers and coal mining affected communities. The union says the case exposes a pattern of corporate negligence in which workers were left unprotected from hazardous dust levels, inadequate ventilation and weak enforcement of occupational health and safety standards. Also, South African coal miners’ rights are at the center of this class action lawsuit, which is raising urgent questions about corporate responsibility.
The NUM says the class action is more than a lawsuit. But a demand that the law be enforced and that companies be held to account. Further, that the talk on ensuring compliance on human rights due diligence principles and guidelines across the supply chains becomes something real for the workers and communities who are affected by coal mining. For many, the stakes in the South African coal miners class action lawsuit could not be higher.
“For decades, mineworkers and their communities have carried the burden. This is about dignity and safety and ending the idea that workers must suffer so others may profit,”
said Masibulele Naki, NUM’s national secretary for health and safety. This sense of injustice has become a driving force behind the class action lawsuit involving South African coal miners.
Coal mining has left a trail of respiratory disease, contaminated water and environmental decay. NUM argues that mining companies must now answer for the harm and engage directly with workers and communities whose lives have been affected by their operations. To illustrate, the South African coal miners class action lawsuit highlights these long-standing issues.
Demand for accountability
The union is urging government to strengthen oversight, enforce compliance and ensure that regulatory failures are not repeated. Moreover, the South African coal miners class action lawsuit calls on authorities to protect vulnerable mineworkers and their families.
“Health and safety start with workers and communities but more importantly mining companies owe these two groups a duty of care, and that is why unions must back this class action,”
said Emmanuel Adjei Danso, IndustriALL director for mining and energy.
In short, all eyes are on the ongoing South African coal miners class action lawsuit as it aims to establish accountability and offer hope for lasting change.
Unions fight for Ekapa workers as mud rush mine faces liquidation
On 17 March, South Africa’s Northern Cape High Court extended Ekapa Minerals’ provisional liquidation rather than granting a final order, postponing the matter to 30 October. The delay follows a challenge by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), which argued that business rescue would preserve more than 1,000 jobs. Liquidation will only cost jobs and harm workers.
NUMSA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, said Ekapa has mishandled its finances and violated workers’ rights. Around 400 workers have not been paid since November 2025 and are unable to access the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Attempts to secure TERS support have been met with little cooperation from the employer, the union said. In February, 196 workers were retrenched. Workers have since been granted access to 50 per cent of their pension savings — a short-term measure at best.
The union also accuses Ekapa of violating labour legislation, including the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Proposals to retrain and upskill workers were rejected by the company.
Mud rush reflects deeper patterns of neglect
The mud rush that killed five mineworkers has cast a shadow over Ekapa’s liquidation and raised serious questions about the company’s adherence to safety protocols. NUMSA says the deaths reveal a deeper pattern of neglect by a company unable or unwilling to invest in managing increasingly unstable geological conditions.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMRE) has taken a cautious and slow approach. Following the mud rush, inspectors issued directives halting operations in affected sections and demanded geotechnical assessments and compliance reports. An investigation was launched into whether Ekapa had followed mandatory codes of practice on rock engineering and underground stability.
But unions argue that the DMRE’s interventions are reactive rather than preventive. Oversight tightened only after fatalities and operational collapse, leaving workers exposed.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy conducted an oversight visit to Kimberley, meeting workers, unions and local authorities. MPs expressed concern about unpaid wages, the liquidation process, and the adequacy of safety systems prior to the mud rush. They want the DMRE to strengthen enforcement and to clarify whether business rescue could offer a safer, and better deal to workers than liquidation.
Managing geotechnical shifts
Diamond mining in Kimberley’s ageing mines is increasingly vulnerable to geotechnical instability. As underground mines deepen and intersect with old mines, the risk of mud rushes, rockfalls and sudden ground movement rises. Mining specialists point to several measures that could mitigate such risks. They want the DMRE to strengthen enforcement and clarify whether business rescue would offer workers a better deal than liquidation. Mud rushes often originate from flooding which can be controlled by improved drainage to reduce sudden inflows of water. Further,backfilling with material stabilises the rock mass and reduces collapse risk.
Andile Zitho, NUMSA regional secretary for the Northern Cape and Free State said:
“The postponement shows the court is seeing through the employer’s tactics and this opens the door to a fairer, more sustainable future for Kimberley, Ekapa and its diamond workers.”
Emmanuel Adjei-Danso, IndustriALL director for mining and energy said:
“We applaud NUMSA for defending livelihoods at Ekapa. Liquidation must not be a licence to impoverish workers.”
Update Ekapa mines
“For some people, we are the last hope”: Christiane Benner on unions, the far right and IndustriALL’s mandate
Christiane Benner arrived at IndustriALL’s Geneva headquarters on 25 March 2026 in the middle of a fight. Works council elections were underway across Germany and IG Metall, the union she leads as its first ever woman president, was facing direct competition from the far right on the shop floor.
IndustriALL president Christiane Benner addresses staff during a visit to the Geneva headquarters, 25 March 2026.
Speaking to staff that day, she was direct about the weight of the moment. Workers, she said, were turning to unions precisely because they had nowhere else to turn.
“For some people, we are the last hope.”
That phrase and the responsibility it carries shaped everything that followed.
We followed up with Christiane Benner after her visit to ask what that responsibility demands of IndustriALL, and of union leaders everywhere.
On vision and leadership
You described unions as “the last hope” for many workers. That is a heavy responsibility. How do you carry that, and what does it demand of union leaders globally right now?
When unions are the last hope for many workers, we become de facto defenders of fair treatment, dignity at work and basic economic and social security. We find ourselves taking on larger roles, advocating for sustainable industrial policy, defending workers’ rights across sectors. This means staying close to employees while also playing a political role in society at the same time.
This situation also creates real opportunities. We can rebuild public trust, expand membership in promising industries and among target groups like white-collar workers, women and young employees. We must be more strategic, not just reactive and our decision-making must be worker-centred.
Even though high unemployment and demographic change are causing membership to decline in many countries, including Germany, we are at the same time gaining many new members. That is why we will be successful in the long run. I am firmly convinced of that.
Four years from now, what does success look like for IndustriALL and for the workers we represent?
We are successful when we have breathed new life into solidarity and, as trade unions, form a united front that cannot be divided. We focus not on what divides us, but on what unites us: the fight for workers’ rights, good and safe jobs, social security and democracy in the workplace.
This leads to workers having tangible improvements in their daily lives, everywhere in the world:
prospects for the future with a secure job and social security
higher wages and stronger purchasing power across major industrial sectors
safer workplaces, with measurable reductions in accidents and exposure to hazardous materials
meaningful worker participation in how new technologies such as AI, automation and robotics are implemented
Workers need to feel the difference, real improvements, not only policy wins on paper.
You spoke about the need for leaders who are authentic and able to show how unions make a difference. What does that kind of leadership look like in practice?
Visionary leaders actively shape transformation, from digitalization and automation to ecological change. They maintain close ties with employees, are present on the shop floor and in offices and stay in touch with those working from home. They address concerns early and develop solutions together, such as training for new technologies or the transition to climate-friendly production.
They communicate clearly, explain complex issues in an understandable way and present themselves confidently in public, in politics and in the media. Young workers and women are actively involved. In this way, they build trust, promote renewal and ensure that their union remains, or becomes, a strong voice for decent work.
In short: visionary union leaders are courageous, empathetic, strategic and principled change-makers who mobilize people, actively shape change and make unions fit for the future.
On the far right
You described seeing a diagram mapping the global connections between right-wing movements. What struck you, and what can a global union do to confront this that national unions cannot?
What struck me most was seeing how well-connected and far-reaching Orbán’s network is as a representative of the far right. Fortunately, he has now been voted out of office. But I fear that the right-wing networks will remain.
All trade unions must take a stand against the far right in their respective countries, not just for the sake of opposing them, but because they actively stand against workers’ rights in every aspect of their policies. But we will be stronger if we fight together, pursue a common strategy and build strong networks across borders. A global federation like IndustriALL can provide a platform for this, help coordinate our activities and sharpen our strategies. We can learn from one another and expose their anti-worker record.
Unions also strengthen democracy by making sure it does not end outside the factory gates. In Germany, works council elections are the second biggest democratic elections in the country. This year, right-wing slates largely failed to make inroads, because we stayed close to the people. Making participatory democracy a tangible reality is one of the most effective counters to far-right forces we have.
On organizing
The Sydney Congress action plan puts organizing at the centre. What does organizing look like when it is done right?
When organizing is understood correctly, it puts workers at the centre: we listen to what they care about, what problems they face daily, what motivates them and what they fear. It must be clear that the workers are the union. When organizing is done right, workers themselves make decisions and union staff coach but do not control. A committee of trusted employees leads the organizing effort, talks to colleagues and takes responsibility for moving the campaign forward.
Like this, we build a strong union base in the workplace with many active and engaged members. Employees feel the difference and understand that they can achieve more together if they organize and speak with one voice. This makes solidarity and democracy in the workplace tangible and indispensable. It builds a culture of “we have each other’s backs.”
On women and the backlash
You are the first woman president of IG Metall. You mentioned the backlash against women as part of the broader right-wing agenda. What does this moment mean to you personally, and what does IndustriALL need to do to protect the gains made on gender?
More than two decades of building feminist structures inside IG Metall have taught me one thing above all: it was never easy nor a sure thing. Feminist unions do not arise on their own. They need structures that actually empower women: transparent pay systems, work-life balance, genuine participation and spaces where women can express themselves. And they need the courage to actively change patriarchal patterns. Feminism in unions is a practical, daily shift in power.
This matters especially now. Across the world, the gains women workers have made are under attack. This backlash is directed at us because our movement has grown stronger. We should not be intimidated. We should continue to organize, network internationally and stay vocal. Our global trade union movement stands behind every woman who fights for dignity, safety and equality. It is more important than ever.
The question she left behind
Christiane Benner left Geneva the same day she arrived, heading back to Germany and the front lines of the works council elections. But the question she posed to staff, “what does it mean to be the last hope?” is one that resonates well beyond IG Metall. It sits at the heart of what IndustriALL exists to do: connect the struggles of workers across the world into something larger than any one union can achieve alone. Her visit was a reminder of why that matters and of how much depends on getting it right.
Staff and guests gather at IndustriALL’s Geneva headquarters during a visit by IndustriALL president Christiane Benner, 25 March 2026.
Malaysian workers vote for union — Boeing fights back
The National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industries Workers (NUTEAIW), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, won a secret ballot at the plant with 85 percent support on 10 December last year. Instead of recognizing the result, BCM management, together with members of the company’s Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), pressured workers to sign a petition against the union. Workers describe signing under duress, in an atmosphere of fear.
BCM then used those signatures to file a judicial review at the high court on 10 February 2026, seeking to overturn the democratic vote.
NUTEAIW general secretary Gopal Kishnam Nadesan says:
“The post-election petition manufactured by the employer has no legal standing in the Industrial Relations Act and serves only to undermine the democratic process. The law clearly prohibits an employer from interfering with employees exercising their right to join a trade union. This is the utmost disrespect of the democratic process and workers’ freedom of association.”
Malaysia has ratified ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining. The Convention protects worker organizations against interference by employers in their establishment or functioning.
IndustriALL regional secretary for South-East Asia Ramon Certeza says:
“BCM’s acts of union busting have clearly violated international and domestic labour law. IndustriALL stands in solidarity with NUTEAIW members and urges the Malaysian government to intervene in the dispute immediately, requesting the company to drop the judicial review and grant recognition voluntarily.”
BCM is wholly owned by the Boeing Company and produces composite and structural products for Boeing commercial aircraft. The company acquired the Aerospace Composites Malaysia manufacturing facility and renamed it in 2023.
Singhitarai explosion exposes systemic OSH failures in India
Preliminary investigations point to excessive pressure caused by fuel accumulation inside the furnace, confirming the incident was preventable.
The plant has no union representation, and unions have reportedly been unable to access the site, raising serious concerns about safety oversight and accountability.
Systemic failure
Official data shows that in 2022, India had 268,747 working factories but only 6,244 safety officers — one for every 40 factories — making effective inspection impossible. Of 4,036 recorded workplace injuries that year, 1,053 were fatal. More than one in four reported incidents ended in death, reflecting both the severity of accidents and likely underreporting.
At a South Asia regional OSH webinar held by IndustriALL on 15 April, trade unions reiterated these concerns, pointing to weak inspection systems, lack of enforcement and the absence of worker participation as key drivers of recurring industrial accidents.
Unions in Pakistan reported repeated fatal accidents in the power and textile sectors driven by weak enforcement and precarious work. In Bangladesh, safety improvements remain uneven beyond the garment sector, leaving workers in other industries exposed.
These examples underline that the accident in Singhitarai reflect broader regional failures in enforcement and accountability.
Accountability, not just compensation
Company responsibility cannot end with compensation announcements. Without accountability, the cycle will continue.
Sanjay Singh, general secretary of the Indian National Electricity Workers Federation and IndustriALL executive committee member, said:
“This was not an unforeseen accident. Operating with outdated and scrapped machinery under excessive load is a clear case of negligence. The real question is how such a plant was allowed to operate in the first place.”
Sanjay Vadhavkar, general secretary of the Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers’ Federation of India and IndustriALL executive committee member, said:
“As per available information, this could have been avoided and workers’ lives saved with proper safety systems. Rising industrial accidents in India reflect eroding safety controls, reduced inspections, and self-certification. The dilution of safety laws in favour of industry is putting workers at risk. Unions will continue to fight for safe workplaces.”
Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, said:
“Worker safety is a fundamental obligation under ILO Conventions C155 and C187. This tragedy exposes serious failures in enforcement and accountability. It also underlines the critical role of worker representation in identifying risks and preventing accidents. The company must take full responsibility, ensure full transparency regarding the causes of the explosion, and guarantee that workers are able to organise and be represented to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”
ACT report shows progress and gaps in brands’ purchasing practices
The ACT Accountability and monitoring report 2025, released on 15 April, draws on responses from 1,049 brand employees across 18 signatory brands and 1,055 suppliers in more than 70 production countries. The scale and methodology of the report are significant: rather than relying on brand self-reporting alone, the findings are cross-referenced with supplier feedback, providing a more honest picture of where change is and isn’t happening.
Where progress is being made
The report identifies the strongest advances in sourcing strategy and responsible exit practices. There are also signs of improvement in labour costing and planning systems, though challenges remain around forecast accuracy and the consistent protection of labour costs from price pressure.
Suppliers identified five purchasing practices as most critical to enabling higher wages: price negotiation, forecasting and capacity planning, sourcing strategy, buyer-supplier relations and terms of payment.
Where the gaps remain
The report also highlights areas where supplier experience does not match corporate reporting, particularly in labour costing and some payment-related practices. This is not a minor finding. It goes to the heart of why ACT’s accountability framework exists: to move beyond policy statements and test whether commitments are being lived up to in practice.
Why this matters for IndustriALL
IndustriALL Global Union is a founding member and co-architect of ACT. The framework is built on the conviction that collective bargaining, supported by responsible purchasing practices and genuine respect for freedom of association, is the most effective and sustainable route to improved wages and working conditions. This aligns with ILO conclusions on wage policies, including living wages.
This report demonstrates that the ACT model works precisely because it does not allow brands to be the sole judges of their own progress. The 360-degree methodology, triangulating data from brands, brand employees and suppliers, is what gives the findings credibility. When it surfaces uncomfortable gaps, that is the framework functioning as intended.
ACT executive director Mira Neumaier described the process as
“a collective, learning-based process”
rather than a static compliance exercise, with the primary objective of enabling fact-based conversations across global supply chains.
The 18 current ACT signatory brands include Asos, C&A, H&M Group, Inditex, Lidl, Next, Primark, PVH, Tesco and Zalando, among others.
