African mining unions launch network to defend workers’ rights

On 27 July, more than 50 delegates from 12 African countries agreed during an online meeting to build a common platform for mining unions. Trade unions in mining still organize mainly within national borders. Mining companies, by contrast, operate across borders with ease.

AMNet priorities

According to discussions in the meeting, AMNet will build union power through regional and global organizing including union-to-union solidarity and commodity-based company networks. It will also defend workers against precarious work, promote freedom of association, collective bargaining and living wages. The network will confront casualisation, subcontracting and migrant-labour exploitation. Further, it will advance a Just Transition in coal and critical mineral regions through reskilling, social protection and worker participation.

Further, it will hold capital accountable through due diligence frameworks and coordinated campaigns against multinationals that violate workers and human rights. AMNet will carry this mandate through research, organizing and policy advocacy. The network will engage with governments, the African Union, regional economic communities and multilateral development banks.

Participants identified precarious contracts, weak health and safety enforcement and the growing footprint of Chinese mining firms as challenges no single IndustriALL Global Union affiliate can tackle alone. They also highlighted the increasing demand for critical minerals caused by the global energy transition including copper, cobalt, lithium, platinum group metals and rare earth elements.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia dominate global cobalt production, while South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Ghana anchor platinum, lithium, diamond and gold value chains. Additionally, the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea has the largest high grade iron ore project globally. Yet pressure to extract quickly rather than beneficiate, create decent jobs and tax fairly is sacrificing workers’ rights and risking Africa’s lock-in to low-value extraction while decarbonization gains accrue elsewhere.

Precarious work, critical minerals and mine safety

The meeting stated that Africa supplies the raw materials for global decarbonization but remains largely confined to extraction, with limited industrial upgrading and weak links to domestic transformation. This enclave model creates mineral wealth with few spillovers into jobs or diversification. Subcontracting, labour broking and informalization have further eroded standard employment relationships and weakened collective bargaining, while artisanal and small-scale mining remains largely informal.

Health and safety risks remain severe, especially in underground and poorly regulated operations. Ratification and enforcement of the ILO Safety and Health in Mines Convention (C176) are uneven, leaving African mineworkers exposed to fatalities, injuries, and occupational disease.

The meeting heard that multinational corporations still dominate production and value distribution. Voluntary ESG and human rights due diligence frameworks have had limited impact, particularly where enforcement is weak and binding accountability is absent.

Multilateral development banks financing mining infrastructure and green-transition reforms have adopted Just Transition language, but their investment-friendly approaches sometimes violate workers’ rights where labour flexibility is treated as a condition for capital.

These concerns echoed IndustriALL’s 2025 Sydney global mining conference, which called for stronger organizing across multinationals, sharper Just Transition frameworks, better safety and firmer supply-chain accountability.

Leadership structure and regional organizing

The proposed AMNet leadership includes two co-chairs and a secretary. It also includes Francophone and North Africa representatives and a representative for women and youth, with thematic subcommittees to follow.

Speakers argued that the network needs leaders who are able to engage governments and multinationals directly. Delegates also agreed to organize around focused themes, rather than try to cover every issue at once.

“Africa could control a significant share of global platinum supply if the continent organized to capture the value, for example, in South Africa and Zimbabwe’s platinum resources rather than simply exporting the ore,”

said Mpho Phakedi, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Platinum and diamond supply-chain accountability

Participants agreed that the network success will be case based. The first is Impala Platinum’s supply chain, which runs from mines in Zimbabwe and South Africa to Volkswagen factories in Germany. Unions plan to use that chain as leverage, working with the Human Rights Due Diligence Competence Centre and German supply-chain law to seek remedy where violations are found.

The second is diamonds. An August meeting in Botswana will examine the global diamond sector, with producers such as De Beers invited, as affiliates build a collective union response to market volatility affecting cutters and miners. On health and safety, affiliates continue collecting country-level data to give the network’s arguments an evidence base.

“This is an important network which must be a platform for building trade union power: defending workers’ rights, building union strength, holding capital accountable and shaping a Just Transition that works for Africa’s mineworkers,”

said Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Mine workers prioritize health and safety

The Sector Strategic Response and Action Plan was adopted by the World Mining Conference in November 2025. It commits IndustriALL to mainstream occupational health and safety in the mining sector, particularly through the campaign for ratification and implementation of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 176 (C176), Safety in Mines. The plan also commits IndustriALL to co-operate across international borders to identify health and safety best practice and continually raise safety standards in the sectors.

Why it matters

“Every 15 seconds, a worker dies somewhere in the world from a work-related accident or disease. Every week, thousands more die from lung disease or cancer linked to exposure to asbestos and other hazards,”

said IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan.

Mining remains one of the most hazardous sectors in the world and one of the few with its own dedicated ILO convention.

“Occupational health and safety is a workers’ issue and a priority,”

Kemal Özkan said, calling on employers to accept responsibility for making work safer rather than blaming workers for accidents.

Trade unions and risk assessment

Stephen Smyth, vice president of the Mining and Energy Union(MEU) and co-chair of IndustriALL’s mining sector, presented on risk assessment and the role of trade unions. He urged affiliates to press for adoption of C176 as a starting point for building strong workplace health and safety committees and for securing workers’ rights to information, training and the right to refuse unsafe work.

Stephen Smyth also highlighted the Australian coalmining model, under which unions elect full-time safety representatives with powers similar to those of government inspectors, including the power to stop unsafe work. Independent reviewers rate the model as among the strongest in the world.

Key barriers to union participation in health and safety, he said, include: anti-union cultures that fail to recognise workers’ representatives, exclusion of union representatives from consultation processes and reprisals against workers and representatives who raise safety concerns.

New convention on biological hazards

Glen Mpufane, an occupational safety and health consultant and former IndustriALL’s sector director, presented on Convention 192 and its accompanying Recommendation 209, adopted at the International Labour Conference(ILC) in 2025. The convention is the first global standard aimed at preventing exposure to biological hazards, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. It covers every worker, not only those in mining.

Glen Mpufane set out the close links between silica dust exposure and tuberculosis in mining and described how the new convention builds on the general principles of Convention 155 to provide more detailed protection. He urged affiliates to campaign for ratification of Convention 192 in their own countries and to embed its protections in collective bargaining agreements, even where governments have yet to ratify.

The case for ratifying C176

Camila Meireles, of the ILO’s sectoral policies branch, outlined the ratification process and the ILO’s supervisory mechanisms. ILO C176 currently has 37 ratifications, including two new ones this year: Mexico and Côte d’Ivoire.

She cited Chile as an example, where a tripartite mining sector commission brought government, employers and workers together for the first time, leading to a unanimous commitment to ratify the convention and a national OSH policy shaped by regional consultations.

Workers’ organizations in countries that have not yet ratified C176 can still act, Camila Meireles said, by requesting a written explanation from their government, calling for tripartite consultation at national or sector level and building national campaigns and coordinating with other worker organizations.

Voices from affiliates

Representatives from Mexico, Morocco and Pakistan described the health and safety challenges facing their members.

Raphael Zuñiga Carmona, from SNTMMSRM Mining General Trade Union of Mexico, said that although Mexican law guarantees workers’ participation in risk assessment, many workers remain reluctant to raise safety concerns or stop unsafe work in practice.

Boutayeb Bouchkhach from SNIME-CDT Morocco called for stronger ratification campaigns, better harmonization between international conventions and national law and increased workplace inspection.

Abdul Haleem Khan, from the Pakistan Central Mine Workers Federation (PCMLF), described mines operating without updated safety practices and appealed for training programmes to build a stronger safety culture among mineworkers.

What happens next?

Kemal Özkan pointed to new data from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre’s transition minerals tracker, which recorded 835 allegations linked to mining in 2024, of which around one fourth were raised to labour matters where more than 80 per cent of them are related to occupational health and safety. IndustriALL will continue to raise health and safety across its mining sub-sectors, regional networks and in company-level networks.

Flex faces investor scrutiny over Malaysia union busting ahead of AGM

In July 2025, workers at Flextronics Technology (Penang) Sdn Bhd, a Flex subsidiary, held a secret ballot on union recognition. Turnout fell 424 votes short of the 50 per cent threshold required under Malaysian law, but 92 per cent of those who did vote backed recognition. The Malaysia Electronics Industry Employees’ Union Northern Region (EIEUNR) says the shortfall followed blocked access to voter lists, delayed transport and supervisors discouraging attendance. Eighty workers filed police reports alleging they were prevented from voting. IndustriALL wrote to Flex chief executive Revathi Advaithi in July 2025 calling on the company to stop the practices; the union says Flex did not act on the request.

Flex had been named one of the world’s most ethical companies for a third consecutive year in March 2025, months before the disputed ballot. The company recently joined the S&P 500 Index on June 22. Flex is also a supplier of Apple Inc., according to Apple’s Supplier List for Fiscal Year 2023 (most recent available).

In March 2026, IndustriALL filed a formal complaint with the ILO committee on freedom of association, naming Flextronics Penang as one of twelve Malaysian companies in a documented pattern of union busting, in violation of ILO Convention 98, which Malaysia has ratified.

A gap between policy and practice

The Global Unions’ Committee on Workers’ Capital (CWC) connects trade unions and pension fund trustees to uphold fundamental labour rights and trade union priorities in investments. The CWC published an investor brief on Flex in May 2026 and held a pre-AGM webinar for investors in June with union representativesproviding context and updates on the situation in Malaysia. The brief and the webinar set out the gap between Flex’s public commitments on the one hand, including a human rights policy that explicitly recognizes freedom of association, and the allegations from Penang on the other. It also questions whether Flex’s Responsible Business Alliance social audits can detect this kind of risk.

IndustriALL ICT electrical and electronics sector director Alexander Ivanou says:

“We regret that FLEX ignored our call and that these unfair labour practices led to a failed ballot. We will escalate this case internationally and urge the Malaysian government to take strong action against FLEX, ensuring compliance with ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining.”

The ILO complaint remains pending before the committee on freedom of association. EIEUNR continues to call for a re-run ballot free from employer interference.

Mauritania training workshop on health and safety

FNEHMI is affiliated to the Confédération Libre des Travailleurs de Mauritanie (CLTM). The workshop was organized in collaboration with IndustriALL. Of the 23 participants, 10 were women, representing various unions within the industry, mining and energy sectors.

The workshop was also attended by comrade Samori Baye, general secretary of CLTM. Comrade Ahmed Diakité, general secretary of FNEHMI, attended as well. Furthermore, comrade Kamel Omrane, IndustriALL MENA consultant, was present.

The workshop aimed to further integrate Mauritanian industrial trade unions into IndustriALL. It also sought to connect them to regional activities and union networks and structures. Moreover, it aimed to prepare FNEHMI leaders for dialogue with multinational companies.

Participants were trained in creating an action plan based on the ten pillars of trade unionism. The primary focus was health and safety.

They recommended: Strengthening trade union organizing within the energy and mining sectors. They urged expanding the trade union membership base. Additionally, they called for developing and implementing regular trade union training programmes.

Participants also called for efforts to extend the social protection umbrella to cover all energy and mining workers. Moreover, they called for a culture of occupational health and safety to be promoted through continuous training. They recommended working women’s committees be established and activated within trade unions to enhance youth participation.

At the end of the seminar, participants emphasized the importance of developing partnerships. They underlined the value of cooperation between national and international trade union organizations.

On the sidelines of the workshop, participants seized the opportunity to establish a working women’s committee within FNEHMI.

Ahmed Diakité, said:

“Such trainings enable our members and leaders to develop their capacities in a way that serves the aspirations of workers. We look forward to further cooperation with IndustriALL, with the aim of supporting education and training and enhancing the strength and capabilities of trade union leaders, thereby improving workers’ conditions and establishing decent working conditions.”

Samori Baye, said:

“We value the support of IndustriALL and its backing for trade unions in the energy and mining sectors. This development of trade unionists’ skills has a positive impact on workers’ lives.”

Ahmed Kamel, IndustriALL MENA regional secretary, said:

“We commend the militancy of FNEHMI leaders and members, and we reaffirm our continued solidarity to strengthen the union and help foster a generation of unionists to lead the way forward.”

Moroccan unions want strong due diligence and trade rules

These demands were raised during a visit by an IndustriALL delegation, led by assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan and MENA regional secretary Ahmed Kamel, to Moroccan affiliates from the Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) and the Confédération Démocratique du Travail (CDT). The visit took place from 14 to 17 July 2026.

Due diligence is an important tool given international investment

Morocco is an emerging destination for international investment, supported by a range of incentive policies, particularly in manufacturing. With its strategic location close to Europe and its modernized infrastructure, the country attracts significant interest from international investors. Other advantages also make it attractive. Leading multinational companies operating in Morocco include automotive firms such as Renault and Stellantis. Aerospace companies such as Safran and Airbus are also present.

On 15 July 2026, the delegation visited UMT general secretary Miloudi Al-Mukharek to discuss the current situation in the country. During the visit, they also presented the main lines of IndustriALL’s Action Plan, adopted at its 4th Congress.

Miloudi Al-Mukharek affirmed UMT’s satisfaction in working with IndustriALL across numerous fronts. These efforts generally converge in the interest of workers in vital sectors such as automotive, aerospace, textile and chemicals. This work is carried out through training, mentoring and the exchange of advice on issues faced by workers at certain companies.

Emphasizing the importance of organizing, mobilizing and building a strong workforce, Kemal Özkan stressed the need to care for the workers, both men and women. These workers will be involved in preparations for the upcoming World Cup to be held in Morocco. He noted the need to respect their rights and working conditions.

The delegation also met with affiliates from the metal, mining, textile, chemicals and oil and gas sectors. They met to discuss how to use human rights due diligence in core union work, particularly for organizing and collective bargaining.

Participants discussed different aspects of due diligence, noting the difficulty of implementing it in a country that continues to face a crisis of trade union freedoms. At the conclusion of the meeting, participants expressed their gratitude to IndustriALL for its leading role in promoting the tool among affiliates.

International trade is needed, but it must be fair

Morocco maintains close trade partnerships with countries including Spain, France, the UK and Germany. Trade figures show a negative trade balance, particularly with Spain, China and the USA. However, international trade remains an important factor for Morocco’s economic development.

On 16 July 2026, the delegation visited CDT general secretary Khaled El-Alami. The visit provided an opportunity to exchange views on the rapid transformations taking place in the world of work. They discussed the impact of economic and geopolitical crises on workers. In addition, discussions explored ways to strengthen international trade union solidarity in the face of challenges to social rights and trade union freedoms. The talks also focused on how to defend the right to decent work and social justice.

Khaled El-Alami emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between CDT and IndustriALL. He also highlighted the large-scale national protest marches organized by CDT in recent weeks.

IndustriALL affiliates across various sectors also participated in a joint workshop on international trade. In this workshop, they discussed the impact of transformations in global trade and production chains on workers’ conditions. Affiliates explored ways to strengthen union capabilities and improve coordination among themselves.

Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between IndustriALL and CDT affiliates, exchanging experience and expertise and building knowledge of collective bargaining negotiations. This work aims to defend workers’ rights, confront current economic and social challenges and strengthen the presence of the trade union movement in international forums.

IndustriALL’s Action Plan in place

IndustriALL’s Moroccan affiliates received feedback from IndustriALL’s last congress. They discussed how to implement it amid transformations taking place in the world of work, including the digital and energy revolutions and climate change. These changes are having a clear impact on all workers. Particular attention was given to strengthening collective bargaining, achieving a just transition, protecting women’s rights and establishing sustainable industrial policies.

Kemal Özkan said:

“Morocco is an important country for IndustriALL Global Union. We follow labour relations in the country, and there is a declining trend in social dialogue, industrial relations and fundamental workers’ rights. There is a strong need to institutionalize social dialogue, as there are so many pressing problems for workers and unions in the country. We need to keep organizing, mobilizing and building a strong movement in Morocco, and IndustriALL will continue to give its full support and solidarity.”

Women’s Centre visit to Autoliv in Nador

The training was delivered for Autoliv workers and members of the FGTHCC-UGTT women’s committee. The event focused on combatting violence against women in all its forms. It also covered ways to prevent violence. Moreover, it discussed mechanisms of briefing, legal support and social support for working women. The importance of raising awareness of women’s rights was also emphasized. Additionally, the event highlighted enhancing their participation in trade union work.

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to engage with working women directly. It allowed them to hear their aspirations and concerns. This helped develop programmes and activities that address their needs and support their position within the workplace. The visit also aimed to enhance direct communication with female employees. Furthermore, it allowed for a close examination of their working conditions. It helped identify their main concerns and difficulties within the institution. As a result, this will help to support female employees and defend their professional and social rights.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Christine Olivier, said:

“We are proud of the important work the Women’s Centre is doing to support women workers, strengthen their voice and advance their rights in the workplace.”

Autoliv is an American-Swedish automotive safety supplier headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and incorporated in Delaware, United States as Autoliv, Inc. It is the world’s largest automotive safety system supplier. The company produces systems including seat belts, frontal air bags, side-impact air bags, air bag inflators and steering wheels. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is the company’s largest customer at 10 per cent of 2023 revenue. Additionally, Stellantis accounts for 10 per cent and Volkswagen 9 per cent.

At 34 per cent of 2023 revenue, the Americas was Autoliv’s largest geographic region. Europe followed at 27 per cent, China at 20 per cent, and rest of world at 19 per cent. Autoliv operates in 25 countries and 14 Tech Centers worldwide. The company has a global workforce of 70,000 workers.

Autoliv has two sites in Tunisia, in Fahs and Nador, with a total of approximately 4,000 employees. The vast majority of these workers are organized in FGTHCC-UGTT.

The Women’s Centre opened in Tunis to support female workers in Tunisia’s textile and garment industry. It is run under the auspices of FGTHCC-UGTT and IndustriALL and sponsored by online retailer ASOS. The centre supports female workers around gender-based violence and health and safety. It also provides training and campaigning for women-related matters, especially ratification of ILO Convention 190 (C190).

Zimbabwe: Supreme Court reinstates 135 sacked Waverley Blankets workers

In December 2023, the Harare-based blanket and bedding manufacturing company told workers to sign fixed-term contracts or face termination. The workers rejected the move, arguing that it violated Zimbabwe’s Labour Act and stripped them of hard-won job security.

With support from the Zimbabwe Textile Workers Union (ZTWU), an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, the workers challenged the Waverley Blankets dismissals through arbitration and the courts. After setbacks, the union won the case on appeal at the Supreme Court.

Matika, Gwisai and Partners, the union’s lawyers, argued that an employer cannot use a waiver to take away workers’ rights and that any termination of employment must comply with Zimbabwean labour laws. They also argued that the workers never agreed to have their permanent contracts replaced with fixed-term contracts.

The court challenge was supported by IndustriALL.

Waverley Blankets dismissals pushed workers into hardship

For Emmanuel Chadiwa, the Waverley union chairperson who had worked at the company as a mechanic since 2010, the dismissal pushed his family into crisis.

“I last reported for work on 15 January 2024, when security guards told us not to enter the company gate. We returned the next day hoping the company would allow us back, but nothing changed. That is when we realised our fight for justice would take a long time,”

said Chadiwa.

“Life became very difficult. I had children in school and no money for exam and school fees. I survived by doing piece jobs offloading trucks, sometimes earning only US$10 a week, a fraction of the US$340 I earned monthly on the shop floor. It was painful.”

“As a worker with a disability, losing my job changed my life for the worse. I was pushed into poverty and uncertainty, surviving on small piece jobs and living off the streets,”

said Matthew Ngwaru, former union vice chairperson at Waverley who has been with the company since 2009.

Supreme Court victory restores workers’ income and dignity

Munyaradzi Jaricha, who worked as an internal security officer, said:

“Winning this case means justice has been done after the unfair dismissal we suffered. For over a year, we struggled with no income, but this victory gives us hope and proves that workers’ rights can be protected when workers stand together with their union.”

“Since 16 December 2023, I have been doing odd jobs and vending to feed my family. Without a stable salary, it has been difficult to pay rent and meet basic needs.”

“The dismissal affected my family badly. We struggled to put food on the table daily. This victory brings relief because it means we may get our jobs back and provide for our families again.”

Norman Makono, ZTWU general secretary, said the Supreme Court ruling was a victory for justice and workers’ rights:

“Workers are celebrating this court victory while waiting for Waverley to inform them of the return-to-work date.”

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, said:

“This is a powerful reminder that employers cannot simply dismiss workers with impunity. We applaud ZTWU for standing firm in defending workers’ rights. It is however scandalous that the fees for bringing a case to the Supreme Court are so high that it is almost impossible for unions to do so.”

Take action: Stop union busting at Taidoc Technology, Taiwan

TaiDoc, a medical equipment company based in Taiwan R.O.C, committed various acts of discrimination against Filipino women migrant workers beginning in 2025. The women workers were forced to stay in company hostels and subjected to curfew, they were forced to do unpaid cleaning work in factories if returning to hostels late.

The women workers formed the Taidoc Technology Labor Union (TTLU) and affiliated with ROCMU in August 2025. TaiDoc dismissed seven union activists including the president Elizabeth Basas and evicted them from the hostels in February 2026. The company organized an illegal meeting and announced that other employees had “taken over” the union. It then filed a lawsuit against the union activists.

Acting on the workers’ and TTLU’s complaints, Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor ruled that the company committed to unfair labour practice and violated the principle of freedom of association. TaiDoc was ordered to reinstate the workers and fined NTD200,000 (US$6,371).

Lennon Wang, TTLU general secretary and ROCMU spokesperson said:

“We ask for solidarity support from brothers and sisters worldwide to end forced labour, discrimination and intimidation against Filipino women migrant workers at TaiDoc. We demand the company to fully comply with the Ministry of Labor’s ruling on their reinstatement, pay back wages for the unpaid cleaning work, refund all the placement fees and service fees for all members and drop all the lawsuits against the union officers.”

IndustriALL director Alexander Ivanou said:

“IndustriALL stands in full solidarity with ROCMU members in their fight for justice. Taiwan has integrated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights into domestic laws, which protects workers’ right to organize and bargain collectively. We call on TaiDoc to fully implement the Ministry of Labor’s decision, permanently reinstate the dismissed workers, provide full compensation for unpaid work and cease all anti-union practices. Taiwanese authorities must ensure that international labour and human rights standards are respected and enforced for all workers, including migrant workers.”

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India affiliates chart strategies for youth and women leadership

That future was already visible in Nagpur, where nearly 70 per cent of participants were attending an IndustriALL meeting for the first time. On 13–14 July, young trade unionists, women leaders and senior union representatives came together under the IndustriALL–Union to Union Building Inclusive Unions project to develop practical strategies for strengthening youth leadership, building second-tier leadership and creating more representative union structures.

Youth meeting sets roadmap for stronger union structures

Participants agreed that organizing must remain the movement’s top priority, particularly among young, contract and precarious workers. They developed action plans centred on grassroots organizing, targeted membership campaigns, leadership development, mentorship and stronger use of digital tools to engage young workers. Participants also exchanged organizing experiences across affiliates, identifying practical approaches that could be adapted across sectors.

Senior union leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening youth and women committees across affiliated unions and ensuring that increased participation translates into meaningful representation and decision-making responsibilities.

Sanjay Vadhavkar, general secretary of Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers’ Federation of India and IndustriALL executive committee member stated:

“Strong unions are built by developing leaders, not waiting for them to emerge. That means continuously creating pathways for young workers and women to take on greater responsibility.”

Sanjay Singh, general secretary of Indian National Electricity Workers Federation and IndustriALL executive committee member added:

“The continued growth of our movement depends on young workers and women. By bringing them into leadership, we build stronger unions, increase membership and give the trade union movement new direction.”

Women leaders focus on building inclusive workplaces

The meeting was followed by a national women’s meeting on 15–16 July, where participants developed strategies on occupational safety and health, gender-based violence and harassment, maternity protection, women’s leadership and stronger representation in decision-making bodies.

Participants also visited Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), touring both open-cast and underground mines to experience the working environment firsthand. The visit prompted discussions on what a truly inclusive mining industry should look like as more women enter the sector, including suggestions for practical improvements that would better support women workers. The visit was a reminder that making industries more inclusive is about more than opening doors to women, because it also means redesigning workplaces that were never built with them in mind.

Dhanyalakshmi Karthikeyan, representative from Working People Trade Union Council reflects:

“Understanding the basics of organizing, workers’ rights and labour laws gives young trade women unionists like me the foundation to represent workers with confidence.”

IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, Ashutosh Bhattacharya, says:

“Creating space for young workers and women to lead is not simply about representation but about ensuring those with an equal stake in the future of work have a voice in shaping it.”

Trade unions push for fairer global trade policy

The participants learned about the United States’ generalized system of preferences (GSP). They also learned how an additional tariff of US$4.4 billion was imposed on the products of Thailand. This tariff was due to violation of labour rights.

The US customs also regularly invokes section 307 of the Tariff Act and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to withhold imported products suspected of using forced labour. For example, the products of several Malaysian rubber gloves companies were withheld for complaints.

The executive director of the Competence Centre for Human Rights Due Diligence Kelly Fay Rodríguez outlined a range of mechanisms now available to unions globally. These allow them to raise labour complaints, including:

Labor Advisory Committee under the office of the US Trade Representative, National administrative offices (NAO) under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation. In addition, Labor Rapid Response Mechanism of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters under EU trade agreements. Also, Risk assessment and reporting mechanism under the European Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence (CSDDD).

Rodríguez pointed out the European Union’s trade agreements require countries to make continued and sustained efforts to ratify 8 ILO fundamental conventions. In addition, labour dispute findings in Korea drove the Korean government to ratify ILO Conventions 29, 87 and 98.

In exchanging their experience on trade policy and labour issues, trade unionists raised concerns about forced labour and union busting at nickel mines in Morowali, Indonesia. They also highlighted anti-union discrimination and forced labour at TaiDoc Technology Corporation in Taiwan R.O.C. Furthermore, they also discussed tax avoidance by digital companies as a related challenge to fair trade and labour standards.

Participants plan to check with their respective governments on the status of trade agreements in their countries. They will also make the union’s role visible as part of the social dialogue. Meanwhile, participants also agreed to continue building capacity and awareness on trade agreements. They plan to focus on how to use available mechanisms.

Associate professor, Verna Dinah Viajar, from the University of the Philippines reminded the participants about the historical context of trade agreements. She highlighted the role of trade unions to fight for trade justice and to reshape more equitable trade agreements. Moreover, she encouraged them to support national industrial policies in developing countries.

“IndustriALL Congress resolved that trade is not an end in itself but must benefit workers and societies as a whole. Labour conditionalities play an important role in this regard. Therefore, IndustriALL counters concrete violations of workers’ and trade union rights by multinational companies or dependent suppliers along the supply chains by using international mechanisms,”

said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.