Landmark protections mark 2025 International Labour Conference

A key achievement of this year’s ILC was the adoption of the first-ever international labour standard, aimed at preventing exposure to biological hazards in the workplace. Convention 192, accompanied by a Recommendation, provides a comprehensive framework to protect workers from biological risks, present and emerging, across all types of work environments. This new standard is expected to play a critical role in enhancing occupational safety and health globally.

The ILC launched the first standard-setting discussion on decent work in the platform economy, a milestone in the fight for the rights of gig and digital workers. The future standards will take the form of a Convention supported by a Recommendation, to be finalized at the 114th ILC in 2026. Among other things, the proposed instruments will cover fundamental rights at work, fair remuneration and social protection, occupational safety and health, as well as data protection and privacy.

Addressing informality

A major outcome of the ILC was the adoption of a Resolution on transitioning from informal to formal employment, reaffirming the principles of Recommendation 204 and urging countries to implement national strategies for formalization.

The Workers’ Group played a vital role in shaping the resolution, insisting on stronger language around freedom of association, collective bargaining, and labour rights for the global workforce.

Key elements of the resolution include:

Workers’ rights are human rights

In a politically significant decision, the ILC voted to grant Palestine non-member observer status, transitioning from its previous classification as a liberation movement. This entitles Palestine to participate in ILO meetings as a non-member observer state, aligning with its growing international recognition.

The ILC adopted a resolution on Myanmar, invoking Article 33 of the ILO Constitution against Myanmar’s military junta. Only used twice before in ILO's history, this demands that the military authorities fully implement the recommendations of the ILO Commission of Inquiry, particularly regarding freedom of association and the elimination of forced labour. The Resolution calls for enhanced international scrutiny and support to uphold the rights of Myanmar’s workers.

The Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) examined 24 individual country cases. During the special sitting on Belarus, IndustriALL condemned the ongoing repression of democratic trade unionism, highlighting the dissolution of its affiliates and the imprisonment of union leaders on politically motivated charges. IndustriALL called for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned activists, including Henadz Fiadynich, Vatslau Areshka, and five female leaders such as Volha Brytsikava, many of whom face abuse, isolation, and declining health. International scrutiny must remain until meaningful progress is made by the Belarusian government. 

In the session on Hungary, IndustriALL called out the Hungarian government for undermining trade union rights through vague laws, digital surveillance of workers and weakened social dialogue. IndustriALL condemned the abolition of payroll deduction for union dues, which has caused a sharp decline in union membership and finances, and called for urgent reforms to protect freedom of expression, simplify union registration, amend the Strike Act and restore sectoral collective bargaining.

IndustriALL also spoke on cases concerning Georgia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and Malaysia, where workers are facing increasing reduced spaces for organizing, along with weakening labour laws.

Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:

“This year’s International Labour Conference marks a turning point for workers and trade unions globally. The adoption of the Convention on biological hazards sets a new benchmark for workplace safety, while launching negotiations for decent work in the platform economy is a major win for precarious workers. 

“Crucially, the application of Article 33 sanctions on Myanmar sends a powerful signal; the military junta’s continued, violent repression of unions and workers will have consequences in the international community. IndustriALL will continue to defend our affiliates and their fundamental labour rights.” 

Cover photo: Violaine Martin / ILO

India: garment workers defy illegal closure

CFL is a major garment exporter in India, and the imposition of unilateral closure by the company violates Indian laws regarding closure of factories and retrenchment of workers.

Under the leadership of Garment and Fashion Workers Union (GAFWU), affiliated to IndustriALL through Unions United, the illegally terminated workers, a majority of whom are women, staged sit-in protest for days and nights until management was forced to negotiate with the struggling workers. GAFWU also approached the office of Assistant Labour Commissioner, as well as filed a case in the labour court to seek remedy.

On 13 June, an agreement was reached between workers and management, according to which all workers will be paid full wages in June, along with bonus and leave encashment (compensation for unused paid leave) by 7 July. In lieu of gratuity (payment for completing a number of years in service), workers with three years of service are to be paid 45 days’ salary by 30 July, and those with at least one year of service are to be paid 15 days’ salary by 10 July.

GAFWU has demanded that brands sourcing from CFL take responsibility of their supply chain and ensure that CFL management upholds their code of conduct and respects workers’ rights, and that the government of Tamil Nadu immediately intervene and ensure that provisions under Indian law are upheld and workers be given closure compensation.

Gautam Mody, executive committee member of IndustriALL and convener of Union United, says:

“This is yet another case where the law is with the workers yet the government allows employers to close factories with impunity taking advantage of women workers who earn barely US$115 a month and simply don’t have the capacity to hold out. The union will do everything in its power to ensure that the company pays workers what is due. This situation will, however, not change until we can bring transparency in the MNC supply chain.”

Christina Hajagos Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director, says:

“IndustriALL salutes the struggle of GAFWU and stands in complete solidarity with the workers of Celebrity Fashions. We urge the brands sourcing from Celebrity Fashions to immediately look into the matter and address the issue of unfair labour practice at their supplier factory.”

Digel workers in Türkiye fight union busting

The conflict began on 17 January 2025, when members of Turkish textile union Teksif were dismissed after the union secured a legal majority among Digel workers. The Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security confirmed Teksif’s status as the legitimate collective bargaining agent. But instead of engaging with the union, Digel challenged the certification and launched a series of legal manoeuvres to stall the process.

Digel contested the Ministry’s certification claiming that Teksif had no majority. The company first filed a lawsuit at a wrong labour court, which passed the matter to the competent court, the Court of Appeal. Digel has since escalated the matter to Türkiye’s Supreme Court, moves that union members believe are aimed at delaying recognition until Teksif loses support. “Justice delayed is not justice,” say the workers.

In the meantime, Digel has sacked seven workers over their union involvement. Legal proceedings for their reinstatement are ongoing.

In a joint letter to Digel’s management, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union called for the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed workers and urged the company to begin negotiations with Teksif. The letter urged Digel to “abide strictly by national and international labour law, and reinstate immediately the seven dismissed union members, respect fundamental trade union rights, stop intimidating and threatening the workers, and engage in good-faith negotiations with Teksif as the legitimate collective bargaining agent.”

“We call on Digel management to be open to dialogue with IndustriALL Global and Europe along with Teksif and IG Metall,”

said Atle Hoie, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

“Freedom of association and right of collective bargaining are red lines, and we will continue to fight back and never give up for these rights at Digel.”

Digel has yet to respond or initiate dialogue at either local or national level. Instead, the conflict has escalated further. Eight more Teksif members, union committee representatives and witnesses in the ongoing court cases, have been dismissed, accused of refusing assigned duties. Teksif claims the dismissals are retaliation for union activism and an attempt to silence key figures in the organizing effort.

In response, Digel workers have announced a 700-kilometre protest march from Izmir to Ankara, on 21 June. Travelling entirely on foot, they plan to raise public awareness about their struggle and bring their demands directly to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. They say they will remain in the capital until their demands are met.

“This entire situation is completely at odds with the values and rules upheld in Europe,”

said Judith Kirton-Darling, general secretary of industriAll Europe.

“We stand with the mistreated workers and are firmly committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure that all Digel workers can fully exercise their fundamental trade union rights.”

Digel’s products are sold online and in over 40 countries worldwide.
 

Going global to win locally

GE Aerospace is a major player in the industry with around 53,000 workers in more than 20 countries, 28,000 of which in the USA. The company is particularly known as an important engine manufacturer, among others, in a joint venture with the French aerospace supplier Safran, an IndustriALL’s GFA partner.

IUE international president Carl Kennebrew says: 
“The company uses its worldwide supply network to shift work from one plant to another, often to non-union facilities and without proper consultation and without taking into account the social implications for workers.”

This is one reason why IUE-CWA has reached out to other unions and is intensifying their international relations.

Matteo Colombi, IUE senior strategic research associate says:

“If the company goes global, we go global too and by sharing information, we are in a good position to network and to defend workers’ rights and decent pay and working conditions in the US but also in all the other locations around the globe.”

The IUE bargaining team, representing more than 2,000 workers in the USA, are continuing to fight for the same items as in the past: safeguarding jobs, securing new investments, proper health and safety and making sure the members earn decent wages, are provided with an affordable and quality health care and a decent and reliable pension scheme.

Jerry Carney, IUE’s chief negotiator says: 
“GE Aerospace is a highly profitable company and workers deserve to be treated with dignity, which includes new products that ensure a reliable outlook into the future.”

One of IndustriALL’s core activity is to build and support company-based networks bringing together trade unionists from around the world, including GE.

IndustriALL Aerospace director, Georg Leutert, says:

“We will of course adapt our global GE network to the new company structure and make sure the aerospace workers will work together even closer going forward. A first meeting is planned in the second half of 2025.”

Laura Hagan, IUE CWA’s international secretary says:

“Our initiative to invite IndustriALL to the opening ceremony of national bargaining with a large multinational company is innovative and far more than a symbolic act. It sends a clear message: We have to break out of the logic of competition even across borders and strengthen solidarity to the benefit of all.”

Calls to save jobs as Goodyear Tyres retrenches 907 workers in South Africa

Goodyear announced the closure on 2 June saying it is shifting to a tyre import-based model in which it will only retain its retail business.
 
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, says it was dismayed by the announcement and has received notices to retrench 907 workers and will start engaging in consultations with the tyre manufacturer through the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
 

“We are deeply worried about the impact on workers and their families. Whilst the outlook is bleak, we stand ready as a union to do everything we can to defend the jobs of our members, and negotiate for fair severance packages,”

said Mziyanda Twani, NUMSA regional secretary for the Eastern Cape.
 
NUMSA fears that Kariega, formerly Uitenhage, will become a ghost town after the closure of other tyre plants by ContiTech and Bridgestone. The union says this will worsen poverty in a province that has the highest unemployment rate in the country which is 41.9 per cent according to Statistics South Africa.
 
IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional secretary, Paule-France Ndessomin, said:

“We are in solidarity with NUMSA strategies to engage the government on incentives to support local manufacturing and save jobs. This is critical for the survival of tyre manufacturing industries and the industrialization of South Africa. Import-based models create fewer jobs and destroy local beneficiation.”

 
South Africa’s tyre industry is concentrated in key hubs that include Gqeberha, Brits and Kariega and supplies mainly the replacement market for passenger cars and heavy commercial trucks. The industry also supplies to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including BMW, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Isuzu. But it faces stiff competition from low-cost tyre imports from China and imported used tyres. This prompted the International Trade and Administration Commission (ITAC) to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese tyres in 2023.
 
The South African Automotive Action Plan (SAAP) 2021-2035, the primary industrial framework supporting tyre manufacturing promotes localization, investment incentives, job creation and skills development, and trade protections to boost the automotive value chain. The incentives are provided through the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP).

Photo: Shutterstock

Building momentum for IndustriALL’s 4th Congress

Opening the meeting, IndustriALL president Marie Nilsson called for unity, resilience, and a renewed commitment to global solidarity.

“We stand for change, not division. Our job is to bring people together, to fight for decent wages and safe working conditions. If we organize across all workplaces, we can reclaim our dignity and bring about real change.”

Difficult conditions for workers worldwide reemerged in the secretariat report by general secretary Atle Høie, who warned of diminishing respect for freedom of speech and association, as well as the rule of law in many regions. Highlighting the impact of fluctuating US tariffs, he emphasized that economic uncertainty affects workers everywhere. 

“Trade must serve workers and society, not destroy jobs in developing countries,”

Atle Høie said. He reaffirmed IndustriALL’s call for fair trade agreements that include enforceable labour rights clauses, raising the proposal of a joint resolution for Congress.
In the discussion that followed, delegates underlined the need for trade agreements to include strong labour provisions and respect for fundamental workers’ rights.
 
Country snapshots
In Bangladesh, the newly elected government is engaging with unions and pledging alignment with international labour standards. IndustriALL, working with its regional office and affiliates, will push for full implementation of the ILO roadmap. 

A decade-long effort in Pakistan, which has involved both progress and pushback, is seeing new momentum as government representatives have promised to ratify key ILO Conventions this year, and hopefully C176 on safety and health in mines next year. 

The ILO’s invocation of Article 33 last week over Myanmar marks a significant step. IndustriALL will intensify its campaign urging brands to exit the country responsibly, to help dismantle the military junta's economic power.

While under continued attacks from Russia, unions in Ukraine are also experiencing a shrinking space with weakening labour legislation and confiscation of union offices. 
 
Ukrainian union leader Mykhailo Volynets described the brutal reality of war. 

“We are losing people every day. Unions have shifted their focus to humanitarian aid. Women are increasingly entering the workforce. When the war ends, we must ensure decent working conditions for them.”

Mykhailo Volynets raised concerns about EU-funded reforms that weaken Ukrainian labour law and bypass unions.

“There is no longer a process of social dialogue—but we know how to rebuild it when the war ends.”

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unbearble and in his report to the Executive Committee, Atle Høie reiterated the need an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution. 

Sahar Abdo from Palestine thanked IndustriALL for the assistance provided for the workers, which has had a major impact. 

Speaking from the floor, several delegates stressed the increasing attacks on workers’ rights, in many countries resulting in age-old wins being reversed. 
 
Organizing for a just future
Building union power through organizing is the strongest tool to confront global capital. IndustriALL, together with affiliates, are involed in a number of campaigns. Assistant general secretary Christina Olivier presentend IndustriALL’s campaings, from the call to disinvest in Myanmar to making Pakistan’s mines safer.

The campaign on Glencore was relaunched in 2022, maintaining pressure on the Swiss mining company to respect workers’ rights.

The campaign to clean up shipbreaking has achieved a major milestone with the Hong Kong Convention set to enter into force later this month. As one of the world’s deadliest industry, IndustriALL will continue to push for safer standards.

The Executive committee reaffirmed its commitment to campaigns on gender-based violence and for ILO C190. 
 
We are ALL in for equality
Reporting from the Women’s Committee in May, co-chair talked of the women’s conference, planned for two half days online in September, and one day in person in Sydney on 3 November. The Conference will provide an important opportunity to review progress since Congress in 2021, assess impact and identify key lessons learned, as well as a strategic roadmap for 2025-2029 to implement the gender equality goals of IndustriALL’s action plan. 
 
Delegates engaged in a second strategic debate on artificial intelligence, highlighting the risks of AI exacerbating inequality and discrimination. A call was made for robust social dialogue and proactive preparation; we need to discuss and prepare for the changes. 
Updated guidelines for global framework agreements (GFAs) were introduced, focusing on union access, neutrality and improved implementation and monitoring, strengthening GFAs as tools to protect workers’ rights and promote sustainability, as well as and a new mandating procedure, that will serve as a guide on initiating, conducting and concluding negotiations.
 
On the road to Sydney
With IndustriALL’s 4th Congress just five months away, much of the Executive Committee’s focus was on preparations:  proposed amendments to the statutes were reviewed with recommendations to the Congress. The draft action plan recommended by the Congress preparatory committee to guide IndustriALL into the next period was endorsed with its four strategic parts; fighting for equality and workers`rights,  building union power, holding capital accountable, and shaping our future through Just Transition.

“In collaboration with our affiliates and through understanding the challenges and needs of our members on the ground, we approach the 4th Congress with a clear and focused plan,” 

said Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary. 

The Congress promises to be a powerful moment of reflection, mobilization, and recommitment to the movement’s overall goals: fair trade, just transition, gender equality, and decent work for all.

Said Marie Nilsson: 

“We must do everything in our power, for our members, our movement, and for the future of work itself.”

ArcelorMittal workers in Quebec win strong five-year deal

Under the new agreement, workers will see wage increases ranging from 26 to 30 per cent over five years, depending on their classification. For those in the median category, hourly pay will rise from $46 to $51 as of March 2025, reaching $59.14 by March 2029. The highest-paid workers will see their hourly rate increase from $53.78 to $59.60 in 2025, climbing to $68.09 by the end of the contract term. These gains represent a major correction to wage erosion and a strong acknowledgment of the skilled labour that sustains ArcelorMittal’s operations.

The deal also delivers enhanced compensation for night work. The night shift premium, which currently stands at $1.50 per hour, will increase to $2.00 in 2025 and rise again to $2.50 by 2029. These increases acknowledge the challenges and sacrifices associated with working outside standard hours.

Pensions are also significantly improved. The multiplier used to calculate retirement benefits will rise by $10 per month for every year of service across all tenure categories. Workers with less than 15 years of service will see their pension increase from $69.50 to $79.50 per month per year of service. For those with between 15 and 30 years, the amount increases from $71 to $81 and for workers with more than 30 years, from $72 to $82. By 2029, this will result in an additional $300 per month in retirement income for many.

A major breakthrough in occupational health recognition is the introduction of a new annual bonus for workers at the iron ore concentrator and crusher sites. These workers, who are exposed to crystalline silica and must wear protective masks, will now receive a risk premium starting at $1,000 in 2025, which will increase to $4,000 annually by 2028.

The agreement also acknowledges the high cost and isolation of living in Northern Quebec. The Northern allowance for workers residing in Fermont will increase from $1,200 to $1,300 per month. Coupled with several improvements to the group insurance plan, the addition of floating leave days and more statutory holidays, the agreement strengthens both income security and work-life balance.

The total cost of the agreement for ArcelorMittal is estimated at $414 million over five years. Union leaders emphasized that these gains were made possible through strong worker solidarity and unified local leadership across all sites.

“This deal shows what workers can win with strength and solidarity. It’s about more than wages—it’s about respect, safety and a better future for all,”

said Patrick Correa IndustriALL base metals director.

Photo: Shutterstock

New research probes how workers in Southern Africa are reclaiming the Just Transition in critical minerals

The project, part of a broader initiative involving five research teams across Southern and Eastern Africa, is titled Fighting Back: Labour fragmentation and capital in the Just Transition and feminist eco-socialism. Supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Wits University’s Centre for Researching Education and Labour, the study examines the interplay of labour, capital and state dynamics in the shift to low-carbon economies.

Focusing on critical minerals mining, coal, renewable energy and logistics, the research spans case studies in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. The study will investigate case studies on the impact of mining critical minerals — such as copper, cobalt and manganese in Zambia and lithium in Zimbabwe — on domestic economies and working conditions in both formal and informal economies.

Key questions include how workers are organizing to improve conditions, their relationships with established trade unions and the forms of labour organizing needed for a worker centric Just Transition.
 
The study engages a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including IndustriALL affiliates the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ), the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) and the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (ZEWU) alongside government ministries, artisanal miners, women in mining, mine-affected communities, traditional leaders, civil society and multinational mining corporations.

Sites of the research are Chinese multinational corporation Sinomine’s Bikita Minerals in Zimbabwe and artisanal and small-scale mining on the Zambian Copper Belt and the Northwestern Province. Central themes include green extractivism, the mineral-energy complex, feminist eco-socialism and trade union revitalization, with a focus on innovative organizing strategies amid industrial transitions. The findings of the research will be published in December 2025.
 

“This research will yield critical insights into fostering an equitable and sustainable future for workers,” 

said Professor Ruth Castel-Branco, senior researcher at SCIS and the research project lead.
 
IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional secretary, Paule-France Ndessomin, said:

“As critical minerals drive the global shift to low-carbon, amplifying insider perspectives of the workers is critical and this study aims to ensure that labour’s voice remains central to the Just Transition narrative,”

emphasizing the importance of trade unions in shaping knowledge production and engaging in social dialogue.

Making human rights due diligence legislation work for unions

As rights holders, workers know the reality of their workplaces, they are in the best position to identify, address and prevent risks. Workers must be involved in designing and implementing due diligence policies at companies.

Trade unions should gather a pool of information and submit all violations into companies' whistleblowing channels, participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives, give briefing to investors, involve rights holders and educate government officials.

IndustriALL director of aerospace and automotive sectors Georg Leutert said:

“Workers’ rights are, and have to be, an integral part of companies' risk analysis. But they don’t always follow the same  logic as we do. For us, freedom of association and collective bargaining are the basis of everything else: decent work, decent wages, equal opportunities, no child and forced labour, etc. This is why trade unions must engage with companies and support them in defining the ‘social’ in ESG, always insisting on the fundamental right to form a union and to enter into a bargaining agreement.” 

Leutert made the statement at the online IndustriALL South East Asia regional seminar on human rights due diligence (HEDD) on 5 June. 55 trade unionists from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand joined the meeting.

The seminar highlighted that HRDD legislation is still new and untested; trade unions must use it strategically to shift power balance and set precedents to the advantage of workers. Trade unions must understand where our power lies and keep communicating internationally.

IndustriALL campaigns director Walton Pantland stressed the importance of mapping supply chains and using corporate research to join the dots, identify pressure points and the best international instruments to be used. The instruments include global financial institutions and investor groups.

Participants exchanged experience on using various HRDD tools; safety and health issues at nickel mines in Indonesia, automotive industry in Thailand and the campaign for restoration of democracy in Myanmar by Korean unionists.

IndustriALL regional secretary for South East Asia Ramon Certeza said:

“HRDD cannot become another tick-box exercise for corporations—it must be a tool for real, enforceable change. And that change starts with us. As trade unions, we must understand the intricacies of the mechanisms and how to utilize them to effect change.”

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Ozkan said:

“No due diligence approach can claim to be credible without the full involvement of workers and trade unions to safeguard freedom of association, right of collective bargaining, and also health at safety diligence. Collective bargaining agreements, global framework agreements, and other negotiated documents are important tools for trade unions to achieve main objectives of promoting workers’ rights and interest.”

Photo:  Matthias Weinberger, Flickr

Historic step towards justice: ILO adopts Article 33 resolution on Myanmar

It is only the third time in history the ILO has used its most powerful enforcement tool, reserved for the most serious breaches of fundamental rights, underscoring the gravity of the situation in Myanmar.

Since violently seizing power on 1 February 2021, the junta has launched a brutal crackdown on trade unionists, activists, and civil society. Workers have been imprisoned, forced into hiding, and stripped of their most basic freedoms.

The regime has consistently failed to implement the recommendations of the ILO’s 2023 Commission of Inquiry. The Commission called for the immediate end to violence and torture against union leaders, the unconditional release of all detained trade unionists, the withdrawal of criminal charges, and an end to the use of forced and child labour by the military.

The adoption of the resolution on 5 June is an important step towards justice for the people of Myanmar, but the struggle is far from over. 

“The adoption of Article 33 is sending a powerful message to Myanmar’s military junta: the world will not stay silent in the face of systematic and persistent violations of workers’ and human rights. 

“Now, this resolution must lead to real consequences. We call on all governments and employers to cut ties with the junta, support Myanmar’s legitimate democratic forces and stand with workers risking everything to organize for a better future,”

says Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.

“We have been fighting hard for the adoption of Article 33, risking our lives speaking out against the oppression. The resolution is a signal that the world hears our voices and stands with us. But now we need more than words ; we need real action to cut off the junta’s power and support the workers,”

says Khaing Zar, president of IndustriALL affiliate IWFM.

Article 33 has previously been invoked against Myanmar in 2000, during the last military regime, over forced labour, and again in 2023 against Belarus for the repression of independent trade unions.

Photo credit: CTUM