DRC women artisanal miners face exploitation as unions seek better working conditions

Over 32 000, including 1045 women are working on the site, which is mined by the Mutoshi COMIAKOL (cooperative for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), under deplorable health and safety conditions as witnessed during a visit by IndustriALL Global Union.

Research by IndustriALL entitled Exploring the DRC cobalt value chain: Challenges, opportunities and stakeholder engagement confirms the conditions:

“Women artisanal miners work in and around cobalt and copper mining sites in harsh conditions on unsustainable artisanal exploitation zones with inadequate sanitation. In their work they very often use dirty water, which makes them particularly vulnerable to diseases, such as urogenital infections, skin diseases, vaginal mycoses, warts and irregular menstruation.” In addition, the women are often victims of discrimination, intimidation, and gender-based violence due to prejudices and stereotypes related to harmful cultural practices.

Women artisanal workers exploitation is an example of the brutal nature of ASM where the miners use basic tools, have no personal protective clothing, no adequate remuneration, no social protection and do not enjoy rights enjoyed by workers in the formal sector as per national mining code and international labour standards. To end this, unions are calling for formalization of ASM.

The ASM pits have depths of over 30 meters, with electric winches hoisting the rocks to the surface as well as taking miners underground. After processing, the cobalt is then bagged into sacks ready for the depots where each sack is sold for around US$75 depending on the quality according to the workers. State-owned Gecamines buys the cobalt from the cooperative.

The DRC’s ASM produces over 30 per cent of the cobalt produced in the country which is globally in demand as one of the materials for battery manufacturing for electric vehicles.

“Organizations have come to this site to film and interview workers. We have seen ourselves on television and on social media. But we are not a museum, we are human beings and workers. We hope that all this publicity will contribute towards changing our working conditions,” said one of the women workers.

Constantin Grund, FES resident representative for the DRC said:

“The impressions we gathered on the open mining site leave us feeling dismayed. The looks on the faces of those who extract copper and coltan from the earth with their bare hands speak volumes. It is politically crucial that we continue to talk about this dark side of supposed prosperity. I am grateful for IndustriALL’s commitment as no one else would take this responsibility.”

“The DRC’s cobalt and copper mining is a tale of two worlds: the high-tech, high value multinational mining companies ventures on the one hand and survivalist often dangerous artisanal operations on the other. As trade unions we are demanding better health and safety and decent working conditions to end the exploitation of artisanal workers,”

added Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining and diamonds.

The site visit is part of a series of meetings with unions working on critical energy transition minerals included round table discussions. IndustriALL affiliates in the DRC are Organization des Travailleurs du Congo (OTUC), Secrétariat des Syndicats IndustriALL de la CDT (SSI-CDT), Travailleurs Unis des Mines, Métallurgies, Energie, Chimie et Industries Connexes (TUMEC), Secrétariat des Syndicats de IndustriALL (SSI-CSC), and Secrétariat IndustriALL Global (SIG-UNTC).

The meetings are part of IndustriALL battery platform which identified issues and challenges on workers’ rights and created discussion forums with key stakeholders, including in the ASM sector to provide knowledge and tools on human rights due diligence and decent work in the battery supply chains.

The other side of lithium: strengthening unions in the battery supply chain

The seminar was organized by IndustriALL Global Union, with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Chile. Representatives from AOMA in Argentina, Industrial Chile Constramet and four other Chilean unions took part in the event.

Lithium is an essential mineral for the manufacture of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, electronic devices and energy storage systems and has turned Latin America into a key link in the global supply chain.

However, the sector’s growth has also brought urgent challenges when it comes to labour rights, regulation and social justice.

At the seminar, FES Chile project manager Arlette Gay said:

“FES plays a key role in promoting labour rights and environmental standards in global supply chains. Due diligence standards help to ensure that unions around the world can demand that their rights are respected and we are pleased to be contributing to building mining unions’ capacity to harness the potential of these new tools.”

The findings of a field study of the lithium sector in Argentina and Chile were also presented. The study, which was conducted with the support of FES, identified some of the power dynamics in the sector, with the aim of strengthening cross-sectoral union cooperation, empowering unions and using human rights due diligence tools to hold multinational companies accountable.

After two days of discussions, the Chilean unions agreed to work together to develop their own vision of how to overcome the fragmentation and lack of union power in the sector. Unions leaders from Argentina outlined actions they could take to strengthen labour and union rights and develop a strategy to promote greater added value and diversification. Participants also highlighted the importance of working together and ensuring better coordination between the two countries.

IndustriALL deputy regional secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Laura Carter, summed up the discussion:

“There are so many labour rights violations in the lithium sector. Supply chain strategies provide a major opportunity to improve respect for the rights of the workers who mine these critical minerals.”

IndustriALL launches policy paper on artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI): challenges and opportunities for industrial workers and trade union responses (ENGLISH)

“AI is no longer a distant prospect, it is already transforming industrial sectors through automation, robotics and data-driven management systems. This new policy paper is both a warning and a guide: a resource to help unions navigate the risks and harness the opportunities of AI while protecting workers’ rights, dignity and jobs,”

said Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL assistant general secretary

Putting workers at the centre of technological change

As the paper explains, artificial intelligence is redefining how work is organized, monitored and valued. Many workers now find themselves managed by algorithms that determine schedules, track performance and even influence hiring and promotions, often without transparency or accountability.

Meanwhile, governments and companies still lack adequate regulations to ensure fairness, there are still very few collective agreements that address AI directly. The result is an uneven playing field where corporate profits rise, but many workers face insecurity, discrimination and intensified surveillance.

IndustriALL’s policy paper outlines a clear roadmap to change this, ensuring that technological progress goes hand in hand with decent work, equality and a Just Transition.

Five key areas for trade union action

The document identifies five priority areas where unions must act:

Algorithmic management and data privacy to ensure transparency, accountability and limits on workplace surveillance.
Quality jobs and skills to guarantee access to lifelong learning, inclusive reskilling and Just Transition support.
Occupational health and safety to make AI a tool for safer, healthier workplaces, not one that adds new stress or risks.
Redistribution of wealth and productivity, demanding fair profit-sharing, progressive taxation and stronger social protection.
Workers’ rights and collective bargaining to protect the right to organize, strengthen legal safeguards and equip union representatives to negotiate in the digital era.

A global, sectoral and national roadmap

The policy paper calls on unions to act at every level to ensure AI benefits workers:

Globally, by influencing international standards at the ILO and OECD, coordinating with global union federations and demanding fair AI governance;
Sectorally, by negotiating responsible AI implementation, forecasting skills needs and ensuring no worker is left behind;
Nationally, by advocating for inclusive AI policies, tripartite social dialogue and cross-sector union solidarity.

AI must serve people, not profit

The paper concludes that AI can be a catalyst for worker empowerment, or a driver of inequality and union repression, depending on how it is governed.

Unions have a decisive role to play in shaping that future: demanding transparency, ensuring workers share in productivity gains and embedding AI within a framework of social justice and democratic oversight.

“Through strong international solidarity and collective bargaining, IndustriALL and its affiliates can make sure that AI becomes a tool for decent work and sustainable industry, not another engine of exploitation,”

says Matsuzaki.

IndustriALL Global Union is looking for a director on mining and energy

IndustriALL is seeking a qualified and experienced professional to serve as director for the
mining and energy* industries within our industrial team. The director will provide strategic
direction, coordinate global and sectoral initiatives and ensure that workers’ interests are
effectively represented in the mining and energy sectors. This position requires demonstrated experience in trade union or related work, along with the ability to operate in a complex, multicultural environment.

Key duties and responsibilities

The director for mining and energy will:

Lead efforts to strengthen trade unions by fostering unity and aligning IndustriALL’s strategic goals in collaboration with sector co-chairs and affiliates in the mining and energy sectors
Develop and implement global strategic plans and guidelines to support trade union development in the sector concerned and ensure effective execution of decisions at global and regional levels
Jointly plan and support actions and campaigns in partnership with affiliates and campaigns and organizing director
Support, assist and coordinate the setting up trade union networks, working groups or any other way of regrouping in MNCs and in Global Framework agreement initiations, negotiations and implementations
Support the defense of trade union rights, mobilize solidarity, combat precarious work and promote sustainable industrial employment
Coordinate and support externally and internally funded projects in the sector
Collaborate with the IndustriALL team at the head office and regional offices and build relationships with other global unions, international institutions, intergovernmental organizations and multi-stakeholder initiatives
Ensure workers in the sector concerned are represented in different international institutions
Organize conferences, workshops and other meetings and be prepared to travel
Undertake any other task assigned by the leadership as required to support the sector's growth and sustainability

Qualifications and experience

Deep knowledge and understanding of the mining and energy industries
Several years of experience in trade union action or related advocacy roles at national, regional and/or international levels, preferably within the mining and/or energy sectors
Strong understanding of political issues, union structures, and industrial relations in different parts of the world
Proven track record in strategy development, political coordination, and organizational strengthening
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with experience working in multicultural and multilingual environments
Ability to engage with multiple stakeholders, including governments, employers and international organizations
Excellent oral and written skills in English is required; knowledge of other languages is a strong asset
Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a frequent basis
Having good IT skills: Microsoft office, internet, online communication tools, social media, etc.

Salary and benefits:

We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package in accordance with IndustriALL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Benefits include the possibility to telework, among others, supporting a balance between professional and personal life.

Join our team:

At IndustriALL, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and are committed to ensuring equal opportunities in our recruitment and employment practices.

If you’re passionate about making a global impact and align with IndustriALL’s values, we encourage you to apply. Please send your CV and motivation letter in English to Kemal Ozkan and Olivia Dufornet

Deadline: 20 October 2025

Applications missing a CV and motivation letter will not be considered. Additionally, IndustriALL does not retain applications from unsuccessful candidates. Applications from recruitment agencies will not be considered.

* Please note that:

Mining sector covers exploration, extraction and processing of hard coal and lignite, metallic and non-metallic minerals, clays, sands and gravels, diamond and gem sorting, cutting and polishing; pearl farming and setting; watch making; ornament and jewellery manufacture (DGOJP)
Energy sector covers exploration, production, generation, refining and distribution of all types of primary and secondary energies including oil, gas, electricity, nuclear, renewables

IndustriALL and IF Metall mark 10 years of landmark global framework agreement with H&M Group

Signed in 2015 and renewed in 2024, the GFA has helped empower workers and trade unions, prevent and resolve conflicts at factory level and improve conditions for thousands of garment workers worldwide. National Monitoring Committees (NMCs) from Bangladesh, Türkiye, Cambodia, India and Indonesia gathered in Stockholm to review progress, share best practices and strengthen protocols for dispute handling, factory access and collaboration.

“Our global framework agreement with H&M has been continually developed since it was first signed ten years ago. It stands as a benchmark for sound industrial relations, which are essential for advancing living wages and decent working conditions in the industry. Yet nothing comes easily—both parties must continue working hard on this important journey toward justice for textile workers across H&M’s supply chain,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie.

Key achievements over the decade include:

Promotion of collective agreements at factory, company and industry level.
Protection of workers’ representatives from discrimination and support to carry out their roles.
Training for management and union representatives on workers’ rights, industrial relations, collective bargaining and conflict resolution.
Co-creation of a Gender-Based Violence and Harassment guideline with independent expert Jane Pillinger.
New Occupational Health and Safety Guideline for suppliers with input from IndustriALL and IF Metall.
Every year, H&M Group suppliers receive training on the GFA. This year, training at 326 tier-one manufacturing units to refresh the GFA’s scope and expectations.
Three new collective bargaining agreements, backed by H&M Group through the ACT process, were signed in Cambodia in 2025. These agreements resulted in increase wages and improved conditions.

“This is one of our most important agreements in our supply chain, and one that I am deeply proud of. For ten years, we have built a strong, long-lasting collaboration that is delivering real, positive impact for thousands of garment workers every day. But it also shows that well-functioning industrial relations are the way forward to improving working conditions and wages in the countries where we source our products,”

says Leyla Ertur, chief sustainability officer for H&M Group.

“We are proud to mark ten years of partnership through the global framework agreement. This milestone shows that global companies and trade unions can work together for lasting change. We know that strong social dialogue, including collective bargaining, is essential for achieving safe and fair working conditions in the textile and garment supply chain. Empowering workers and strengthening trade unions at the factory level is not just crucial – it is the foundation for sustainable progress,”

says Marie Nilsson, president of IF Metall and IndustriALL.

Building social partnership in Armenia’s mining sector

This session was particularly timely given the recent strike at the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), where hundreds of workers downed tools over disputes with management. The industrial action highlighted both the challenges facing workers in Armenia’s mining industry and the urgent need for stronger mechanisms of dialogue and negotiation. By addressing these tensions through structured social partnership, unions and employers have a better chance of preventing conflicts and ensuring fair treatment in the future.

The event brought together 18 participants, including leaders and activists of the primary trade union organizations at ZCMC, Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ACMC) and Kapan Mining and Processing Plant, as well as representatives of the Republican Sectoral Union of Miners, Metallurgists and Jewelers of Armenia. The discussions were moderated by Eduard Pakhlevanyan, chairperson of the Sectoral Trade Union.

The seminar served as preparatory work ahead of scheduled meetings with the management of ZCMC. In the first sessions, participants reviewed the definition, principles and models of social dialogue, both internationally and in Armenia. Examples of successful practices were presented, followed by reports from participants on the state of social partnership at their enterprises. Gaps, challenges and opportunities were identified, along with strategies for strengthening union–employer cooperation.

Pakhlevanyan outlined the roles and responsibilities of both employers and unions in effective dialogue, highlighting the critical role of trade unions in protecting workers’ rights. Case studies, including one focused on ZCMC, helped participants analyze current challenges and develop potential solutions.

The second day of the seminar examined barriers to social dialogue and explored mechanisms for overcoming them, such as collective agreements and regular consultations. Specialists from CTUA led sessions on the legal protection of trade union leaders and the application of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, reinforcing the importance of international labor standards in union activity.

A panel discussion allowed participants to share experiences, debate tools for social dialogue, and draft proposals for improving social partnership at their workplaces.

The seminar concluded with the selection of a delegation of trade union activists from ZCMC to engage in upcoming talks with the company’s management. Together, participants developed a strategy and identified priority topics for discussion. CTUA specialists will continue to provide support remotely as the union representatives prepare for negotiations.

“Through open dialogue and clear strategies, we are building stronger, more sustainable partnerships that will benefit both workers and enterprises,” said Eduard Pakhlevanyan.

“Building effective social dialogue in Armenia’s mining sector is a crucial step toward ensuring decent work, fair treatment and sustainable development,”

said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

“This initiative shows that when unions and employers engage in genuine dialogue, it strengthens trust, improves working conditions and creates the foundation for long-term stability in the industry. IndustriALL is proud to support Armenian trade unions in this important process.”

Organizing and campaigns to revitalize trade unions in Sub-Saharan Africa

In Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA), a region characterised by high unemployment, poverty and inequality, low wages, precarious working conditions, poor health and safety standards and human and workers’ rights violations, unions are concluding that organizing and campaigns are key to their survival and improved working conditions especially in the context of declining membership.

The unions expressed these views at a workshop for organizers, convened from 29 September to 1 October in Boksburg, South Africa, which discussed how to strengthen trade unions using various organizing tools and campaign strategies. These included mapping industries and workplaces and identifying potential union members, recruiting, and retaining them. Identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, using national labour laws and International Labour Organization conventions especially Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize) and 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining) effectively is crucial. Further, building union leaders capabilities and curbing gender-based violence and harassment are key. Emphasis was placed on strategic planning, effective communications with clear messages and use of digital platforms such as social media.

The 25 participants from Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe were trade union organizers and union leaders from IndustriALL Global Union affiliates that organize in energy, mining, diamonds, metals and engineering, textile and garment and other manufacturing industries. The workshop underscored that recruitment must pivot on unions primary mandate of protecting workers’ rights, although other benefits could be used to attract workers. The importance of the union as an organization for building solidarity and unity of the workers was key. Organizing was also described as a long-term activity to build union power and density at workplaces especially when done from the shopfloor while campaigns could be short and targeted at specific issues for impact.

The workshop included case studies, role plays and future organising plans, that were based on real workplace experiences and challenges that the unions were facing.

Global trade union networks like Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti, were identified as providing opportunities for recruitment and organizing. Further, global framework agreements were an example of a transnational collective bargaining agreement that unions could campaign for.

Zazi Mugambi, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa head of secretariat, and one of the participants, hailed the workshop as valuable.

“Unions are facing massive retrenchments because of the geopolitical crisis which weakens us daily. In South Africa we need to find ways to organize workers who are not unionised and increase membership to make our unions stronger.”

Aaron Chappell, who has diverse global experience on organizing, facilitated at the workshop with support from the Sub-Saharan Africa regional office. The workshop is the first under the IndustriALL campaigns and organizing project which was adopted by the Executive Committee in 2023 and seeks to bring synergies between organizing and campaigns.

“The aim is to build strong unions through effective organizing and campaigns’ strategies and tactics among trade unions in SSA and globally as this is one of the anchors of building trade union power,”

said Walton Pantland, IndustriALL organizing and campaigns director.

Strike suspended after conciliation at Dangote Refinery

The strike was suspended after conciliation which reinstated the 800 dismissed workers. The chief conciliator then issued a communique.

“Key among the issue captured in the Communique was the immediate recall and redeployment of all affected workers without loss of pay, affirming that their disengagement was unjust and that no evidence of sabotage was established against them. It also reaffirms Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right of workers to freely associate and join unions and provides clear protection against victimization,” wrote PENGASSAN’s national executive council in a notice suspending the strike.

Talks between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery had deadlocked on 30 September, during a meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The suspension comes after a week of militancy by the unions. On 27 September, PENGASSAN, a union for white-collar senior oil workers, ordered its members to halt natural gas and crude oil supplies to the Dangote Refinery plant in Lagos as part of strike action against the unfair dismissal of 800 workers.

The refinery’s pipes ran dry after PENGASSAN members withdrew their labour from upstream companies like Chevron and Shell. Since early this year, the refinery has been producing petrol, diesel, and jet fuel and was launched with support from trade unions.

The dispute traces back to Dangote Refinery’s resentment towards organised labour even to the extent of announcing that it intended to form an in-house union. In August, around 800 Nigerian engineers and technicians at the refinery joined PENGASSAN, an IndustriALL affiliate, citing poor conditions and the absence of collective bargaining. Within days, they were dismissed, and their contracts terminated without notice. The union is condemning the dismissals saying the oil company violated Nigeria’s Trade Unions Act, which protects the right to organise.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives’ petroleum committee called for the suspension of the strike. The lawmakers’ intervention is like the September 9 memorandum of understanding(MOU) between Dangote Refineries and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the junior staff blue-collar counterpart to PENGASSAN, which averted a nationwide shutdown. The MOU, brokered by the government, with support from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), pledged union access but Dangote Refinery reneged after a few days.

As the strike intensified, Nigeria’s House of Representatives petroleum committee urged suspension of the strike on 29 September, while a Lagos court issued an order restraining PENGASSAN from industrial action and mandating the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to sustain crude supplies. However, undeterred and with support from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the NLC, union members barricaded NNPCL towers, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in Abuja, vowing to press on until the workers are reinstated.

Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN general secretary said: “We deeply appreciate your solidarity, discipline and unwavering commitment to the ideals of our union during this critical period. Please remain vigilant and stay united, as the leadership continues to monitor developments.”

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Hoie, said:

“In full solidarity with the proud affiliates of IndustriALL, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, we express deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of Dangote Refinery’s persistent actions aimed at undermining trade union rights and eroding the hard-won collective bargaining structures established by the two unions. The strike is a legitimate response to these unacceptable developments.”

In letters to Dangote Refinery, IndustriALL expressed concern over the company’s anti-union behaviour and called for dialogue with trade unions.

Photographer: Shutterstock

Ten years of advancing workers’ rights under global framework agreement with H&M

As part of the tenth-anniversary celebrations, union representatives from Bangladesh, Türkiye, Cambodia and Indonesia met in Stockholm to share experiences. All agreed that the agreement has been instrumental in improving conditions for workers in their countries.

“The global framework agreement has given us a solid basis for organizing and bargaining. It has created an ongoing social dialogue with employers, enabling us to negotiate for key rights such as parental leave and to tackle issues like workplace harassment together,”

says Nazma Akter, president of the Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation in Bangladesh.

Fulya Pinar Özcan, head of international relations at the Turkish textile workers’ union Öz İplik İş, echoed those sentiments:

“Global framework agreements are crucial for us because they link our local work to global accountability. Through these agreements we can ensure that international brands take responsibility for safeguarding workers’ rights in their Turkish supply chains. For our union, they provide a powerful tool to strengthen freedom of association, collective bargaining and protection against abuses such as union-busting. Above all, they give our members a voice that carries far beyond their own factory.”

Eko Purwantoro of Indonesia’s SPN union also highlighted how the agreement secures fundamental human and trade-union rights:

“The global framework agreement delivers tangible benefits for workers by safeguarding fundamental rights, improving working conditions, opening direct channels of social dialogue with global management, preventing union-busting and strengthening our union power through international solidarity.”

During the ten years of the agreement, both union representatives and company managements have received training on workers’ rights, building constructive relations between parties, negotiation skills and conflict resolution.

"This GFA has been transformative. It gives unions a formal seat at the table and a direct line to decision-makers at one of the world’s biggest brands. That means real progress on wages, safety and dignity at work. It also strengthens our ability to organize, bargain collectively and defend workers against intimidation, showing that international solidarity can deliver concrete improvements on the factory floor,"

says Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director.

Lindsey refinery: redundancies begin despite bids to save site

Redundancies announced amid ongoing bids

On 29 September, insolvency firm FTI Consulting, which is managing Lindsey, issued redundancy notices to 125 workers. Unite revealed that at least two bids are on the table to purchase and run the site with a full workforce, but that these are being ignored. Instead, the union believes the preferred option is to decommission Lindsey and turn it into a storage terminal for oil tankers.

This move, Unite argues, would gut jobs, devastate the regional economy and weaken the UK’s energy security. The refinery directly employs 420 workers and supports a further 500 contractors, with thousands more jobs in the supply chain.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“The government has been tin-eared to the plight of workers at the second oil refinery facing closure in less than a year. This makes a mockery of government promises to protect workers and its plan for net zero. The government had promised to ensure that job-focused bids would be the priority at Lindsey, yet prior to bids even being considered, they are already issuing redundancy notices. Unless Labour start to back workers and British industry it will continue to haemorrhage support.”

A community dismantled

For workers in North Lincolnshire, the redundancies are not just numbers but lives upended.

“This is about thousands of families and an entire community whose livelihoods are being dismantled,”

said Jamie Dalgetty, Unite convenor at Lindsey.

“Government must make a choice: protect creditors or protect jobs. We are fighting for the latter.”

Delegates at the Unite National Oil Refineries and Terminals Committee (NORTCC) meeting in London on 23-24 September, described the closure as chaotic and unsafe. Safety teams have been dismantled, key plants closed without proper decommissioning and maintenance neglected. They warned the site is operating “well below safe levels,” raising fears of a serious accident.

Workers with over 25 years of service have been dismissed without compensation. Technical staff have been laid off with less than a week’s notice. Families are facing unemployment, stress and upheaval.

Political shockwaves

Unite’s NORTCC has now written to General Secretary Sharon Graham urging her to demand the resignation of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Energy Minister Michael Shanks and to consider disaffiliating Unite from the Labour Party altogether.

At the same time, a Unite delegation is at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, pressing for urgent government action to halt the redundancies and secure a just solution.

Cliff Bowen, Unite Executive Council member for CPPT, said:

“Exporting jobs and skills by attempting to decarbonise through deindustrialisation and destroying working-class kids’ futures and their communities whilst moving production abroad has never been the energy transition this country needs. Just ask the working-class people of Grangemouth, the thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the North Sea or our members at the Lindsey Oil Refinery who are watching as they fight for their jobs and their communities. Workers refuse a repeat of the unjust transition which devastated Grangemouth. The type of transition we are seeing is not one on our terms, driven by a tone-deaf government. It must stop and my union and our members will not put up with it any longer.”

Energy security at risk

Lindsey is not just vital for jobs but for national energy security. Before its closure, the refinery supplied around 25 per cent of the UK’s diesel market. Without it, the UK becomes more reliant on imports, particularly from Turkey and India, where much of the diesel is produced using Russian crude.

Turning Lindsey into a storage terminal may satisfy creditors, including HMRC and oil company Glencore, but it would leave Britain dangerously exposed to global market shocks and price rises at the pump. With the right government support, Unite argues, Lindsey could remain a functioning refinery, preserving both jobs and fuel security.

A European trend

The Lindsey case is part of a broader pattern across Europe: deindustrialisation disguised as decarbonisation. From Grangemouth to the North Sea and from Germany to Italy, plants are being shut down without plans for workers or investment in alternatives. Promises of new green jobs remain largely unfulfilled, while communities are left devastated.

At the NORTCC meeting, international contributions reinforced this perspective. Mike Smith of the United Steelworkers described the same trend in the United States, warning that transitions are increasingly “without workers”, leaving unions to demand public ownership of refineries to protect jobs and energy stability.

“A test case for Europe”

IndustriALL Global Union has pledged full support to Unite and its members, stressing that Lindsey is a test case for Europe.

“What is happening at Lindsey is a test case. If governments allow companies to collapse without plans for jobs, skills, or safety, then we are headed for a transition without workers. IndustriALL stands with Unite and all our affiliates in the UK. We will mobilize international solidarity to defend jobs and demand that industry transitions are planned, just and negotiated, not chaotic and imposed,”

said Diana Junquera Curiel, IndustriALL energy director.

A fight for the future

Unite and IndustriALL demand:

Immediate government intervention to halt redundancies and site dismantling.
A tripartite body bringing together workers, government and investors.
A just transition plan that guarantees training, alternative jobsand site safety.
Trade union participation in all decisions about Lindsey’s future.

The redundancies announced this week are not the end of the story. For Unite, Lindsey is a battleground, not only to defend thousands of jobs in North Lincolnshire, but to expose the dangers of an energy transition driven by market logic and political neglect.

The outcome will shape more than one refinery: it will shape whether workers have a future in the UK’s energy transition, or whether communities will continue to pay the price for a transition without justice.

PHOTO: IMMINGHAM, UK, 30 JUNE 2025, PRAX Lindsey Oil Refinery drone images showing offices, storage tanks, chimneys and flames. Stock Photo ID: 2647850779