Oil workers at the intersection: tariffs, AI, climate policy and global tensions

A coordinated model of bargaining

The National Oil Bargaining Program, established in 1965, is a unique example of structured union coordination. It brings bargaining units together to align contract timelines and build a common platform. Proposals from local councils are reviewed and consolidated by a rank-and-file National Policy Committee, which then enters negotiations with Marathon Petroleum, the lead employer.

Once a national agreement is reached, it becomes the pattern for all participating companies and sets a minimum standard across the industry. This structured approach prevents fragmentation and strengthens bargaining power.

Mike Smith (USW) adressing Conference (NOBC)

“Your presence here is an investment in our future. The time we spent together sharing strategies and building solidarity will determine the strength we take into bargaining,”

said Mike Smith, national oil bargaining program chair.

The program’s strength lies in unity and timing, ensuring that companies cannot play workers or worksites against one another. While this model is specific to the U.S., its underlying principle, building collective power through coordination, offers lessons for unions globally.

Global pressures on national negotiations

The context surrounding the 2025 conference was shaped by a broader sense of uncertainty. During the opening session, union leaders highlighted key challenges facing the sector, including the rollback of promised investment in future energy technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture, rising inflation, tariffs, and international instability. These factors are already leading many companies to delay or reduce investment in their facilities, despite continued profitability in the refining sector. Delegates were urged to bear these dynamics in mind as they prepare for the upcoming round of negotiations.

“We’ve seen a lot of canceling of funding… the global market is kind of unknown,”

said Smith.

Much of this instability stems from the shift in U.S. federal energy policy between administrations. Under President Biden, the sector saw significant investment linked to clean energy expansion and industrial transition. But with the change in political climate and expectations of deregulation under Trump’s return to influence, many companies have withdrawn funding or frozen projects. Workers now find themselves caught between two competing visions of the energy future, with little say in either.

Delegates also raised concerns about rising health care costs, inflation, severance protections, retirement security, and job stability, all of which will be central to negotiations starting in January 2026.

In an industry still grappling with post-COVID instability, it is clear that economic and political volatility is being offloaded onto workers. The question at the core of this year’s negotiations is: who pays the price when energy companies shift priorities?

Technology and exclusion from transition

As the industry evolves, so too do the threats, and they are not only economic. Diana Junquera Curiel, IndustriALL’s energy industry and Just Transition director, addressed the growing risks of workers being excluded from key decisions on energy transition and technological change. She warned that artificial intelligence (AI), deregulation, and emerging trade deals are reshaping the sector at a rapid pace.

Diane Junquera-Curiel adressing NOBC in Pittsburgh

“Energy companies are already using AI in their processes, I analyzed the risks and opportunities of AI in the sector. Unions must be at the table in technological transitions,”

said Junquera Curiel.

Across the oil sector, AI is increasingly being used for predictive maintenance, process automation, and even safety monitoring. While these technologies can improve efficiency, they also pose serious threats to job security, skill requirements, and oversight, especially when introduced without worker input or bargaining.

She stressed that outcomes in the United States have global implications:

“Your battles and negotiations here in the United States don’t just stay in Texas, California, or Pennsylvania. They ripple across oceans, shaping the realities of oil workers in the UK, Nigeria, Mexico, and beyond.” 

The outcomes of U.S. national bargaining talks often set precedents that companies mirror in other parts of the world. When U.S.-based multinationals negotiate wages, safety standards, or severance protections at home, they frequently influence what is offered, or withheld, at facilities they operate or contract in the Global South. Moreover, global supply chains are tightly interlinked; if U.S. refineries face labour disruptions or win gains that increase costs, those effects are often passed down to workers in outsourced or subcontracted operations abroad. For unions in countries where labour protections are weaker or union density is lower, U.S. union victories can offer leverage, or put pressure on them to defend gains. That’s why global coordination and solidarity remain essential. 

Safety, recognition, and resilience

USW International vice president and IndustriALL vice president, Roxanne Brown, warned of cuts to key safety institutions such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which would limit inspections and weaken enforcement, putting workers at increased risk.

Roxanne Brown (USW) and IndustriALL VP adressing NOBC

“Thank you, oil workers, for everything you do every single day, the unsung heroes who keep this country running. From the energy that powers our homes to the materials in everyday products, your work touches every American life, and it’s time the nation recognized it,”

said Brown.

Delegates affirmed that health and safety must remain a priority at the bargaining table.

With reduced oversight and growing automation, workers are increasingly expected to monitor their own safety in high-risk environments. Strengthened safety language in collective agreements is therefore not just protective, it is essential.

International perspectives and shared challenges

The conference also hosted international labour leaders who provided critical perspectives on the global energy landscape.

Frode Alfheim (Styrke) adressing NOBC

Frode Alfheim, President of Norwegian union Styrke (formerly Industri Energi), highlighted the power of high union density in Norway’s oil and gas sector and its central role in energy security across Europe.

“On the Norwegian continental shelf, around 90 percent of workers are union members, a level of strength and unity that is rare in the world. That strength must be carried to the global stage, because the challenges we face do not stop at national borders.”

Read more on Norway’s role in securing a just energy transition.

Across the Global South and in established producer nations alike, workers are grappling with uneven protections, job insecurity, and exclusion from transition planning. These shared challenges demand coordinated responses.

In Nigeria, job casualization is widespread: many oil workers are hired as temporary contractors, often with lower pay, no benefits, and no union representation. This structural precarity excludes workers from meaningful participation in the energy transition and undermines safety and skill development.

In Mexico, while many workers at the state-owned Pemex benefit from union representation, international companies frequently rely on short-term contracts without protections. This dual system creates serious disparities in wages, training, and long-term career prospects within the same sector.

In the UK and Scottish North Sea sector, the transition is marked by downsizing, underinvestment, and uncertainty. The workforce is expected to shrink from 115,000 to just 57,000 by the early 2030s. Restrictive tax policy, unclear planning frameworks, and lack of new projects are driving skilled professionals out of the industry, and often out of the country.

These cases reflect a broader pattern:

These are not isolated national problems, they are symptoms of a global energy model in transition without a coherent social dimension. The voices raised in Pittsburgh remind us that any real progress must put workers at the centre of transition planning, investment, and decision-making.

The way forward

As energy systems shift and global competition intensifies, workers in the oil sector are being asked to bear the consequences of decisions they did not help shape. From AI and climate policy to trade agreements and deregulation, unions must fight to remain at the center of these transformations.

 “Trade unions are not satisfied with efforts by energy companies so far. Existing climate and business initiatives are not getting enough results,”

said Junquera Curiel.

The bargaining model seen in Pittsburgh shows that coordination, solidarity, and preparation can build real power. While each country faces unique circumstances, the principle remains: strong, united unions are essential to ensuring a just and equitable energy future.

“The scale of your influence is global,and so is the responsibility that comes with it,”

Junquera Curiel concluded.

The future is being written. Workers deserve a pen

Here are five reasons why joining a union right now is more important than ever.

1. AI won’t negotiate with you, but we will

Across industries, from aerospace and mining to fashion and electronics, artificial intelligence is transforming how work is done. Predictive algorithms assign shifts. Machines perform tasks once done by people. Jobs are disappearing, or changing beyond recognition.

The tech industry likes to sell AI as “inevitable progress.” But who benefits from these changes and who bears the costs, is a political choice.

Unions are the only force fighting to ensure a Just Transition: one where workers have a say in how technology is introduced, are trained for the future and are not discarded in the name of efficiency.

IndustriALL affiliates are already negotiating with multinational companies to ensure that AI serves people, not the other way around. In the absence of rules, it’s the organized voice of workers that brings ethics into the equation.

2. Oligarchs are writing the rules. Workers must rewrite them

As political strongmen rise again, Trump in the US, Milei in Argentina, Wilders in the Netherlands, Meloni in Italy, the rhetoric is clear: blame the vulnerable, deregulate the economy and hand power to the rich.

This shift is not just rhetorical, it affects labour laws, union rights and public services. When right-wing populists attack collective bargaining and weaken unions, it becomes harder to fight for better pay, safety, or climate justice.

Meanwhile, corporate giants are consolidating their power. Today, a handful of billionaires control everything from supply chains to social media to artificial intelligence.

Joining a union is a way of saying: we won’t be ruled by algorithms or autocrats.

3. Your boss has an app. You deserve a union

In many industries, workers are now managed by software, watched by cameras, scored by customers and timed to the second. It’s efficient, for profits.

 But where’s the dignity?

Whether you’re in a factory, a warehouse, or an office, if your work is dictated by a system you can’t question, then you need a collective voice.

Joining a union gives you the power to set boundaries, challenge unfair systems and demand transparency in how decisions are made. It’s not about resisting technology, it’s about demanding a human-centred future of work.

4. There’s no climate justice without worker justice

As the climate crisis deepens, industries are being forced to change. But too often, that change is chaotic, layoffs, plant closures, or greenwashing without real transition plans.

A true Just Transition means workers are part of the plan from day one. It means retraining, income protection and investment in communities, not just vague promises.

Unions are fighting for climate policies that protect both the planet and the people who power it. If we don’t organize, the transition will be done to us, not with us.

5. We work, and so do unions

In a time when disinformation spreads fast and democracy is under pressure, it’s easy to feel powerless. But there’s one thing that we know works: organizing.

 Unions remain one of the few democratic structures that exist outside the control of governments or corporations. They are built by and for workers, regardless of nationality, gender, or background.

When you join a union, you gain more than a contract, you gain a community. You gain support when you’re in crisis. You gain the tools to fight back. And you help build a world where fairness, equality and solidarity aren’t just slogans, but realities.

The same reasons, and even more urgency

Back in more stable times, IndustriALL laid out five reasons to join a union: better pay and conditions, a safer workplace, dignity and equality, a collective voice and a better future. Those reasons are still true and they are more urgent than ever.

But in 2025, we also face a world where entire industries can be upended overnight by artificial intelligence, where climate chaos threatens livelihoods and where the very concept of democracy is under attack in many places.

That’s why joining a union today isn’t just about what you earn, it’s about what you stand for. It's about protecting yourself, shaping the future of work and defending the idea that workers have a say in how the world changes.

In the face of disruption, solidarity is not old-fashioned, it’s revolutionary. And it may be the only force strong enough to ensure that this new era is fair, humane and built for all of us.

Don’t watch history unfold from the sidelines. 

Be part of shaping it. 

Join a union.

IndustriALL demands immediate humanitarian access to Gaza and an end to the war, blockade and occupation

The world bears witness to an unfolding tragedy: the people of Gaza are suffering extreme starvation and malnutrition because of the illegal blockade imposed by the Netanyahu government and the killing of civilians attempting to access food. These actions constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law and are an affront to the fundamental values of humanity.

Reports confirm that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking food in the past two months. IndustriALL condemns this horrific situation in the strongest possible terms and urgently demands that humanitarian aid be granted unimpeded access to the people of Gaza, with an immediate ceasefire implemented without delay.

IndustriALL strongly supports the vital efforts of UNRWA and the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Recovery Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Furthermore, IndustriALL demands the immediate release of the civilian crew of the humanitarian aid vessel Handala, which was intercepted and detained by the Israeli military in international waters. The ship was carrying vital humanitarian aid to Gaza, accompanied by 21 peaceful activists, including several trade unionists. 

IndustriALL reaffirms its solidarity with the Palestinian people and workers in their peaceful pursuit of dignity, and its support for a lasting resolution based on the two-state solution and formal recognition of the State of Palestine.

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