Senegal’s garment workers demand end to exploitation at Sartorisen

The company, which produces traditional African attire and workwear, employs around 300 workers, the majority of whom are women. Workers report systemic violations, including wage theft, gender-based discrimination, and blatant disregard for national labour laws. Some have gone without pay for up to 13 months, making it impossible to afford transport to work. Several of those affected have worked at Sartorisen for over 15 years.

The lack of written contracts, pay slips, and social protection worsens workers’ vulnerability. Many are facing severe financial hardship, with families struggling to meet basic needs.

During the recent Tabaski holiday (Eid al-Adha), gender-based discrimination became even more evident. Male workers received bonuses of 50,000 CFA (US$87), while their female colleagues, despite forming the majority of the workforce, received only 25,000 CFA (US$44). The disparity has sparked outrage among women workers, who are demanding equal pay for work of equal value.

Sartorisen has so far refused to engage with the workers or the union. The Syndicat National des Travailleurs des Industries de la Confection du Sénégal (SNTICS), an IndustriALL affiliate, has filed complaints with the labour tribunal and the labour inspectorate.

“The union has taken Sartorisen to the labour tribunal for its failure to provide written contracts and social protection. The company must implement labour laws and respect workers’ rights,”

said Doudou Sisse, general secretary of SNTICS.

IndustriALL is standing in full solidarity with the Senegalese garment workers.

“The unfair labour practices, exploitation of workers, and gender discrimination violate national labour laws and international standards. We will continue to support Senegalese unions in their fight for better working conditions and urge the government of Senegal to enforce labour laws,”

said Paule-France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sartorisen operates within Diamniadio’s SEZ, a government initiative intended to attract foreign investment through tax incentives and relaxed regulations. However, the model often leaves workers vulnerable. According to the 2025 ITUC Global Rights Index, labour law enforcement in Senegal remains inconsistent, and union activities are regularly obstructed.

Türkiye bans mineworkers’ strike with midnight presidential decree

The strike, set for 1 August 2025 and organized by IndustriALL affiliate Maden-İş, was postponed for 60 days through Presidential Decree No. 10150, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 30 July and published in the Official Gazett. The decree claims the strike poses a threat to national security. 

“It is completely unacceptable that yet another strike has been banned in Türkiye with the same method, although the ILO has criticised the Turkish government over this practice multiple times,”  

said IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan.

“We stand in full solidarity with Turkish mineworkers in their rightful struggle for fair and legitimate demands.”

Although officially labelled a "postponement," this is in practice a strike ban. Under Turkish labour law, once the 60-day period expires without a resolution, the dispute is automatically referred to compulsory arbitration, a process that bypasses workers’ right to strike and imposes a binding settlement without further negotiation.

More than 600,000 public sector workers have been negotiating for a new collective agreement for over seven months. The government’s wage proposal, 24 per cent for the first half of 2025, 11 per cent for the second, followed by 10 per cent and 6 per cent for 2026, was rejected by Maden-İş and national centre Türk-İş as inadequate in the face of Türkiye’s high inflation.

The Turkish government has repeatedly used strike “postponements” in key sectors, drawing international criticism, including from the International Labour Organization (ILO), for undermining freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, protected under ILO Conventions 87 and 98.

IndustriALL Global Union condemns this attack on trade union rights and calls on the Turkish government to revoke the decree, respect international standards, and engage in good-faith negotiations.

Tunisian women trade unionists driving change

This course of the academy, established as a joint initiative between IndustriALL’s Tunisian Women’s Network, national sectoral unions affiliated to the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), and with the strong support of Mondiaal FNV and the Dutch Trade Union Confederation (FNV), is a model of constant investment in feminist union leadership.

Since October 2023, 27 women from different sectors, including oil, textile, garment and manufacturing, participated in six months of intensive training covering core trade union issues: organizing, social dialogue, dispute resolution, health and safety, living wages, Just Transition, precarious work, and union communication. Twenty-five participants graduated, presenting in-depth final projects on topics rooted in workers’ realities, from media strategies and the role of women’s centres to demands for living wages and better protections for precarious workers.

“This is a joint effort between all parties,” 

said Yamina Mubarki, national coordinator of IndustriALL’s Tunisian Women’s Network. 

“Different generations played a role in establishing the academy and its traditions of struggle. Today’s women leaders are carrying that legacy forward.”

At the graduation ceremony in April 2025, held in Tunis and attended by UGTT assistant general secretaries Siham Bousta and Hedia Arfaoui, as well as leaders of UGTT’s sectoral unions, IndustriALL, and a delegation from FNV and Mondiaal FNV, participants shared the results of their work and their hopes for the future.

“The research projects prove that trade union work is a force for struggle and for proposing alternatives,” 

said Siham Bousta. 

“Training raises women’s capacity and strengthens the overall movement.”

Hedia Arfaoui added: 

“The projects address real issues, and training builds skills to defend not only yourself but others. This is how we build the next generation of union leaders.”

Graduates shared how the academy strengthened their voice and vision:

The training was also an opportunity to build unity and intersectoral solidarity within UGTT, and between Tunisian unions and their global allies. 

Erine Dijkstra, programme coordinator at Mondiaal FNV, said: 

“We are inspired by your presence and by the depth of your projects. Strong women in trade unions promote justice, reduce marginalisation, and build more democratic, representative organisations. That’s why this work must continue.”

For IndustriALL, the MENA Union Leadership Academy is part of a broader strategy to promote women’s leadership in unions and push for structural change.

Ahmed Kamel, IndustriALL MENA regional secretary, concluded: 

“We congratulate our sisters for their commitment, their ideas, and their persistence. We will work with our affiliates to incorporate these graduation projects into national and regional action plans, because this isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of new leadership.”

Union busting at Flextronics Technology Sdn Bhd

IndustriALL affiliate, Malaysia Electronics Industry Employees’ Union Northern Region (EIEUNR), lost a crucial secret ballot at Flextronics Technology (Penang) Sdn Bhd (FLEX) after falling just short of the required turnout. Out of 6,345 eligible workers, 2,748 cast their votes, 424 short of the 50 per cent turnout required by Malaysian labour law. Despite this, 92 per cent of those who voted supported union recognition, suggesting the union would have won had all workers been allowed to vote freely and without interference.

In the months leading up to the 14–15 July ballot, EIEUNR faced a “relentless anti-union campaign” by FLEX management. Managers and supervisors held group briefings discouraging workers from joining the union, and employees were threatened with the loss of existing benefits if they supported it. The company issued memos declaring, on 14 July, a replacement public holiday, but supervisors told workers verbally not to report to work, creating confusion and uncertainty about the voting process.

Security guards reportedly blocked workers from accessing the list of eligible voters displayed on notice boards, creating an atmosphere of fear. The company also delayed buses and vans transporting workers to the factory, and in some cases sent them straight to the production area, bypassing the voting booths entirely.

A week after the vote, 80 Flextronics workers lodged police reports alleging that supervisors had prevented them from leaving their workstations to vote and threatened them with verbal warnings, sparking widespread concern over intimidation and retaliation.

EIEU general secretary David Arulappen said:

“We demand the police investigate direct or indirect threats from the employer during the secret ballot process. We call on Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim to intervene immediately and reconvene a new ballot under fair conditions, free from anti-union discrimination by FLEX.”

Flextronics Technology (Penang) Sdn Bhd is part of FLEX Ltd., one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturing services companies. Headquartered legally in Singapore and operationally in Austin, Texas, FLEX operates more than 100 facilities in over 30 countries and employs over 170,000 people. The Penang site is one of its key Asian production hubs, contributing to the company’s annual US$26 billion revenue. FLEX manufactures and provides supply chain services for leading global brands in consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, and healthcare.

In March 2025, FLEX was recognized for the third consecutive year as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies in the industrial manufacturing category, for its commitment to ethics, compliance, and governance.

IndustriALL ICT Electrical & Electronics sector director Alexander Ivanou said:

“On 11 July, IndustriALL sent a letter to FLEX CEO Revathi Advaithi, urging the company to stop its union-busting practices. 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. In addition, we demand that the company implements comprehensive remediation measures to address the violations that occurred, restore justice for affected workers, and prevent further union busting in the future.”

Brazilian industrial workers’ unions present government with reindustrialisation proposals

During the meeting, the union representatives presented the proposals developed during the sectoral workshops held with the support of the project to strengthen trade unions for a Just Transition, coordinated by IndustriALL Global Union in cooperation with the Finnish Trade Union Solidarity Centre – SASK. Five priority measures were set out to guide the country’s industrial policy and position it as a cornerstone of the national sustainable development strategy for the period up to 2033.

The proposals focused on vocational training and decent work, strengthening mature industrial regions, new criteria for access to finance, broadening representation in the private sector consultative council (Conex) and creating a working group to assess the impact of the tariffs imposed by the United States. 

The need was emphasized to promote training and professional qualifications in strategic sectors, in line with social justice and the energy and technological transition. A territorial approach to the implementation of the NIB was also advocated, to ensure that public policies reach small and medium-sized industrial enterprises, which make up a large part of Brazil’s industrial fabric.

The unions also called for access to public financing to be subject to companies’ respect for labour rights, collective bargaining and environmental and social commitments. Another key proposal focused on the need to expand Conex to include union representatives, who are currently excluded from the consultative body.

Lastly, they suggested that a working group be created with government, employer and trade union representatives to analyze the impacts of the US tariffs on strategic industrial sectors such as steel and aluminium. This group would also work in coordination with Brazilian representatives in international forums such as the WTO, Mercosur, BRICS and G20, with a view to defending reindustrialisation, industrial sovereignty and national interests.


The president of IndustriALL Brazil, Aroaldo Silva, highlighted the importance of unity within the trade union movement and its key role in shaping public policy: 

“Trade union involvement is essential to developing industrial policies that truly respond to workers’ interests… These proposals reinforce the unions’ commitment to building a strong and sustainable industry.”

Inditex and Next refuse to back groundbreaking agreement to improve conditions for Cambodian garment workers

The Cambodia Agreements provide a legally binding mechanism for brand support of a standardized Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) template developed by Cambodian social partners. This model aims to improve wages, secure better working conditions, and stabilise supply chains. Twelve major global brands have already signed on, and IndustriALL Global Union continues to engage with other companies sourcing from Cambodia.

Developed through years of collaboration between IndustriALL, leading brands, employers, and its affiliated unions in Cambodia, the agreement represents a first-of-its-kind brand-supported CBA in the textile, garment, shoe and leather (TGSL) sector. It offers a viable solution to long-standing challenges in the industry, particularly the persistent difficulty of raising wages without endangering competitiveness.

Despite playing key roles in shaping the agreement, Inditex and Next have not yet committed to signing. IndustriALL has made repeated efforts to re-engage both brands and continues to urge them to support this transformative initiative.

At Next’s Annual General Meeting on 15 May 2025, IndustriALL campaigns director Walton Pantland addressed shareholders, questioning the company’s refusal to sign:

“Low wages remain a systemic challenge in the garment industry, worsened by fierce competition. No single brand or actor can address this alone. A sustainable and effective wage strategy must involve all stakeholders, brands, employers, and workers.”

Next offered no substantive response, stating only that it “couldn’t commit” to the Cambodia agreement. The company’s position was further called into question when, in response to a separate shareholder inquiry about living wages in its UK retail stores, Next’s CEO claimed that its predominantly female workforce 'did not need a living wage' because their husbands supported them.

At Inditex’s AGM, Yot Seang, speaking on behalf of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Worker Democratic Union and as a member of the Inditex global trade union committee, raised a similar concern:

“Several investors have expressed interest in the ACT binding agreement and have asked IndustriALL why Inditex refuses to sign. Investors are concerned that Inditex is contributing to increasing inequality in Cambodia. How does Inditex justify its refusal to sign the ACT agreement with its stated commitment to freedom of association, collective bargaining, and fair wages, as well as its Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with IndustriALL?”

Inditex reiterated its general support for collective bargaining and stressed the importance of sectoral agreements, referencing its participation in the ACT initiative and its Global Framework Agreement with IndustriALL. However, the ACT agreement in Cambodia is precisely the tool required to deliver on these commitmen, making the company’s response weak and inconsistent.

In his written intervention, Yot Seang stated:

“As a result of Inditex’s refusal to sign, workers in your supply chain will not receive the benefits of the binding agreement. By not signing, Inditex seems to have consciously decided to deny these workers decent wages and better benefits.”

The Cambodia CBA template goes far beyond wage improvements. It guarantees extended maternity leave, introduces paternity leave, enhances dispute resolution mechanisms, promotes peaceful industrial relations, and supports skills development. These provisions directly benefit Cambodia’s predominantly female garment workforce and contribute tosustainable industry practices.

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Atle Høie added:

“We must hold companies accountable for their commitments, especially those with GFAs. Taking part in lengthy negotiations only to walk away at the end undermines their stated ambitions.

The Cambodia Agreement has the potential to solve one of the major issues in the garment industry: the race to the bottom on wages. Next and Inditex are undermining years of work despite their public statements.

Actions speak louder than words. Investors should look closely at the gap between what these companies say and what they do.”

Despite the refusal of Inditex and Next to step up, many leading brands have signed the Cambodia Agreement. It has already led to the successful unionisation of several factories and the signing of collective agreements for improved wages and conditions.

IndustriALL and its affiliates remain committed to expanding the agreement’s reach and ensuring that garment workers in Cambodia can secure the fair treatment they deserve.

Photo credit: CROYDON, UK – JANUARY 30, 2010: Shoppers enter Centrale shopping centre, North End Croydon, home to Next, Zara and House of Fraser. Its modern glass frontage reflects historic buildings opposite. (Shutterstock: 1605042535)

Nepal hikes minimum wage by 13 per cent

According to Nepal’s labour law, the minimum wage is fixed every two years. Before this, the minimum monthly wage was NPR 17,300 (US$125) which was set in 2023. 

Unlike the minimum wage fixing process that unfolded in 2023, this time trade unions were included in the negotiation process from the start. Although unions’ joint demand was to set the minimum wage at NPR 30,443 (US$220), but the revised wage was agreed to by all members of the tripartite group including trade unions.

The revised minimum wage applies to all workers except those employed at estate and tea gardens. As per the tripartite agreement, minimum daily wage has been set at NPR 754 (US$5) and minimum hourly wage at NPR 101 (US$0.7). For part-time workers, the minimum wage per hour will be NPR 107 (US$0.8).

Anand Thami, secretary of IndustriALL Nepal council, says:

“We are very pleased that this time the government upheld tripartism in fixing the minimum wages and that voices from trade unions were included. Trade unions must brace themselves now to see that the revised minimum wage is strictly implemented.”

Last month, IndustriALL conducted a meeting on living wage with affiliates in Nepal in which a range of topics were covered, including the concept of living wage and the findings of research conducted by unions in the country regarding the appropriate living wage in Nepal.

IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, Ashutosh Bhattacharya, says:

“We congratulate our affiliates in Nepal for pushing for workers’ rights during the minimum wage negotiation process. IndustriALL stands with you in the struggle and our fight for living wage will continue.”

Photo: Shutterstock 

Unions push to close South East Asia's gender pay gap

During the two-day training of trainers on pay equity, organized by IndustriALL and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) on 10–11 July 2025 in the Philippines, selected union leaders, trainers and negotiators from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand shared the challenges they face in obtaining gender pay data and monitoring gender equity policies.


All the countries ratified ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration and have national laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender or sex. Yet, only the Philippines has comprehensive national policies assessing pay equity such as gender equality and women's empowerment plan 2019-2025, gender and development indicators and gender-disaggregated data on wages and employment.  

Cambodian unions rely on labour inspectorate to handle pay discrimination complaints; the absence of a dedicated labour court means lack of enforcement. While Indonesian labour law lacks anti-discrimination clause, authorities and companies are not obliged to provide wage data disaggregated by gender.

Malaysia's ministry of human resources-initiated programmes to narrow wage gaps; on average Malaysian women earned 17.8 per cent less than men for similar work. It is interesting to note that Thai women earn a higher average base wage than men, but their total income is still lower than men if bonuses are included. This phenomenon shows the bonus system is unequal and gender-biased.

Participants expressed their gratitude as they learned more about integrating the principles of gender pay including gender-neutral evaluation, carrying out a gender pay gap report, some language used in valuing jobs and the formula for computing gender pay equity.

Participants developed an action plan to close the gender pay gap in the region:

Philippine senator Risa Hontiveros, said: 

“I always believe that policy should uplift the most vulnerable especially women workers in informal and precarious conditions. That belief has shaped my work in the senate and continues to guide our fight for inclusive, gender-responsive laws. Let’s work together so women workers are empowered, respected and paid what we truly deserve.”

IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary, Ramon Certeza, said:

“Trade unions in South East Asia have a central role to play in closing the gender pay gap, key is organizing and activism, by pushing for equal pay, advocating inclusive collective bargaining and holding employers accountable to gender equality in the workplace. We aim and commit to work on that path and building the understanding and capacity of our affiliates in the region on the issue of gender pay gap is one bold step forward leading to that direction of achieving pay equity in every workplaces.”

Kenyan court halts Springtech’s unfair dismissals

The decision stems from the dismissal of six workers and the suspension of eleven others at the company’s Mombasa plant, actions the court deemed unlawful and in violation of Kenya’s labour laws and the national constitution which protects freedom of association.
 
The conflict began when six workers joined the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metalworkers (AUKMW), an IndustriALL affiliate. Their dismissals followed swiftly, prompting eleven colleagues to stage a sit-in demanding an explanation from Springtech’s human resources department. Instead of engaging, management accused the protesting workers of “causing disturbance” and reported them to the police, leading to their arrests and suspensions. The AUKMW responded with an urgent court application, challenging the dismissals and suspensions as unlawful union-busting tactics.
 
The Mombasa court ruled in favour of the union, issuing an injunction that “no termination of employment will be allowed” at Springtech pending further legal review. The ruling aligns with the office of the director of public prosecutions, which declined to prosecute the eleven suspended workers. Citing precedent, the prosecutor argued that a “disturbance” must demonstrably threaten public peace to warrant charges. There was no violation during the workers’ peaceful sit-in, which did not disrupt any citizens activities.
 
IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional secretary, Paule-France Ndessomin, said: 

“The Amalgamed vs Springtech Kenya Limited case highlights broader tensions in some of Kenya’s industrial sector, where firms often resist unionisation to pay low wages and violate workers’ rights to collective bargaining, and we applaud the AUKMW for standing firm on defending workers’ rights.”

 
Rose Omamo, IndustriALL vice president and AUKMW general secretary, described the dismissals as “a clear case of intimidation and harassment” aimed at deterring unionization. “This violates workers’ rights to freedom of association under Kenyan law,” she said, vowing to pursue further legal action to protect union members.
 
The ITUC Global Rights Index (2025) listed Kenya as one of the African countries with systematic violations (rating 4) of workers’ rights which means, “The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers, putting fundamental rights under threat.” This rating is a few steps away from the worst rating of 5+ “where there are no rights guarantees due to a breakdown in the rule of law.”

Springtech Kenya manufactures leaf springs, bolts and nuts, brake pads and linings, trailer parts and other accessories for the automotive industries.
 

What are South Africa’s green jobs?

The research report by the Sam Tambani Institute (SATRI), the research arm of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), mapping potential green jobs in renewable energy value chains and critical transition minerals (CTMs) like lithium, cobalt and nickel offers a detailed examination of the opportunities and challenges found in this shift. 
 
According to the report, the concept of green jobs remains contested. Many workers in South Africa’s mining and energy sectors associate green jobs only with renewable energy, overlooking opportunities in related fields like CTM exploration, processing and refining. Yet the report identifies significant job creation potential in renewable energy, particularly in manufacturing, construction, installation, operation, maintenance and research and development. However, these roles depend on local value addition and the learning of specialized skills. For instance, engineering, technical and scientific expertise are critical for developing green infrastructure and services, while operational management and monitoring skills will ensure efficient adoption of green technologies.
 
The report highlights that the main concern for trade unions is whether green jobs can offset job losses in the coal sector which employs over 90 000 workers. Further, it outlines South Africa’s energy transition questions on how many jobs will be created, whether they will be in regions like Mpumalanga, where coal-dependent communities face unemployment risks? Can coal miners be reskilled for green roles and will their hard-won rights, such as unionization, be preserved in the renewable sector? The report suggests that without clear answers, unions are unclear on how the transition from coal to renewable energy will benefit workers.
 
The report stresses that skills development is key to unlocking green job opportunities. It states that essential skills are in engineering and technical expertise for manufacturing green infrastructure, scientific knowledge for innovation, operational management to facilitate access to green products and monitoring to optimize the use of renewable energy sources. 
 
To attain the skills, targeted training programmes are needed to equip workers, particularly those transitioning from coal-based industries. For CTMs, job creation hinges on local processing and refining, which requires international technical and financial support to build capacity. 
 
The transition also poses challenges for informal workers, who dominate parts of the green economy in the country, argues the report. With South Africa grappling with a 32.9 per cent unemployment rate which is higher at 60.7 per cent for youth aged 15–24 and 35.7 per cent for women, formalizing green jobs is critical. 
 
IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional secretary, Paule Ndessomin, said:

“We continue to work with research organizations and partners to build knowledge on trade union policy positions on the green economy and the transition to renewable energy and this report is a contribution towards a just and inclusive transition for workers.”

 
The NUM is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union and the research was supported by the IndustriALL regional office for Sub-Saharan Africa and 3F – the United Federation of Danish Workers.