Unjust conviction of Korean unionists at Hanwha Ocean

The local chair of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontracted Workers' Local, Kim Hyoung-su, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined KRW 1 million (US$670). The union’s former vice-chair, Yoo Choi-Ahn, received a two-year prison sentence, while the local general secretary, Lee-Kim Chun-Taek, was sentenced to one year in prison.

An additional nine union activists were also sentenced to prison terms, while the remaining 17 workers received financial penalties.

The judge granted a stay of execution for all prison sentences, citing the public interest nature of the strike.

In the summer of 2022, the Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontractors’ Local staged a strike at Dock 1 of the Okpo shipyard. The workers demanded collective bargaining with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) to reverse a unilateral 30 per cent wage cut, improve health and safety conditions, guarantee trade union rights and address what they viewed as exploitative multi-tier subcontracting arrangements at the shipyard.

DSME, later acquired by Hanwha Group and rebranded as Hanwha Ocean in 2023, justified the wage cuts by citing the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The striking workers faced intimidation from both the company and the government. DSME refused collective bargaining and instead mobilized its HR department employees, subcontractors and white-collar staff to attack the striking workers. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration escalated tensions by considering a raid on the strike, deploying commandos and special forces to conduct suppression exercises near the iron cage protest, with helicopters flying overhead.

Despite the strike ending, the company sued the union and its leaders for US$37 million in alleged damages for missed production targets.
 
In October 2023, IndustriALL and ITUC, together with civil society organizations, gathered in Geneva to support Korean civil society. They raised concerns over the repression of freedom of association by the Korean government during the UN Human Rights Committee’s examination of Korea’s adherence to its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The president of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), Jang Chang-year, condemned the court ruling, stating:

“Attempts to imprison our union members and impose astronomical damages claims on them simply for demanding fair treatment and human dignity are clear evidence that the system is fundamentally broken. Hanwha Ocean must withdraw its civil suit, and the judiciary must deliver a not-guilty verdict in the appellate trial.”

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said:

“IndustriALL expected a fair verdict that fully respected workers' rights to freedom of association, including the unrestricted right to strike and collective bargaining. This expectation stems from the Republic of Korea’s commitment to protecting the civil and political rights of its workers and citizens and its ratification of ILO conventions 87 and 98. This did not happen so Korea still has a long way to go. In the meantime these verdicts have to be reversed.”

Photos: 1-3 2022 strike, 4 in front of court, 19 February 2025. Credit KMWU

Binding agreements are key to progress

In one of the panels, Etienne Vlok from IndustriALL South African affiliate SACTWU, highlighted the potential for trade agreements to foster responsible business practices within domestic markets, particularly in regions where ethical business standards are not as deeply entrenched as in Europe. Compliance with international standards must be mandatory, not optional.

Discussions centred around the effectiveness of legally binding agreements in ensuring compliance and fostering better labour conditions. Speakers pointed to the success of agreements like the Bangladesh Accord, which has demonstrated that binding frameworks can lead to tangible improvements in working conditions and worker safety. However, many agreements outside such frameworks remain weak, highlighting the ongoing challenge of ensuring enforceability.

The forum also highlighted growing investor interest in binding agreements as a means of mitigating financial risk. For investors, companies that fail to comply with labour rights regulations pose a significant reputational and financial risk. During the forum, IndustriALL and the Labour Rights Investor Network (LRIN) launched Investor Guidance and Expectations: Supply Chain Due Diligence and Binding Agreements. The document lays out investor expectations for companies to respect workers' rights in global supply chains. Specifically, it addresses how binding agreements between trade unions or worker representatives and companies can uphold fundamental labour rights and mitigate related risks for companies and their investors.

Union engagement was another focal point of the discussions. With only 39 per cent union density in the sector and collective bargaining agreements covering approximately 30 per cent of the workforce — higher than the global average but still inadequate — the need to expand union representation remains critical.

IndustriALL affiliates from Bangladesh, Cambodia and Türkiye described the challenges faced by unions, including government and employer resistance, as well as outright criminalization of worker advocacy in some countries. Despite these hurdles, the signing of Cambodia’s first brand-backed collective bargaining agreement was highlighted as a key victory, demonstrating that brand engagement is essential for meaningful progress.

Athit Kong, president of Cambodian union CCADWU, stressed the need for direct brand involvement in negotiations, rather than relying solely on supplier-level agreements.

"We need to engage with brands, not only with suppliers and workers. Our union, CCADWU, has signed the first CBA under the Cambodia agreement. We call on other brands sourcing from Cambodia to follow as soon as possible.”

A critical yet complex issue discussed at the forum was responsible disengagement. While brands must take a stand against human rights violations, sudden exits from factories or regions can leave workers in precarious situations.

"We want workers to work. We want to engage with businesses and brands on these issues. Disengagement must be carefully managed through responsible exit strategies that minimize harm to workers. This approach requires long-term planning, stakeholder engagement, and brand accountability to ensure that vulnerable workers are not left without livelihoods,” 

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

Youth calls for inclusion in decision-making bodies

During the virtual SEA2PAC meeting on 13 February, a survey on inclusion of youth in unions was presented. The outcome shows the percentage of young workers (age below 35) in IndustriALL affiliates’ executive committees ranged from zero to 50 per cent. Four out of six respondents have less than ten percent youth executive committee members.

Most IndustriALL affiliates in the region have established youth committees. However, only four out of six respondents said that unions allocated a budget for youth meetings or activities.

In general, the youth database in the region is limited as trade unions lack age segregated databases, some unions are requesting information from company-based affiliates. Another challenge of constructing a regional youth database is the different age limits, for example Australian Council of Trade Unions’ (ACTU) labels young workers aged between 15 and 27.

SEA2PAC co-chair Jonathan Cook says:

"While we are collecting more data from youth delegates and facing the challenge of scarcity of data, the preliminary result of the survey shows inadequate youth representation in union executive committees. It is crucial to enact a strong global youth policy to include more youth in decision-making bodies and allocate an adequate budget for youth activities."

IndustriALL regional secretary for South East Asia Ramon Certeza says:

"Young workers' voices remain unheard and unions must be able to articulate young workers' interest. We must continue to empower young workers by providing them seats on tables for their active participation. Trade unions should commit to IndustriALL's transformative agenda to keep trade unions relevant and resilient."

The virtual meeting also included training on gender equality, sexual orientation and LGBTQIA+. IndustriALL director of gender Armelle Seby shared the concepts of sex and gender, formal equality and substantive equality. Anjali from India's Tata Workers' Union presented the idea of diversity and inclusion, and the achievements by LGBTQIA+ members in India. For instance, Indian transgenders have assumed positions such as lawyer, judge, police officer and college principal.

“IndustriALL supports increased visibility of LGBTQIA+ workers. We are preparing an inclusivity checklist and will invite affiliates to join a global day of action on 17 May, the international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia,” 

says IndustriALL youth officer Sarah Flores.

25 youth delegates and observers from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand joined the virtual meeting.
 

IndustriALL Global Union is looking for a regional officer for cross-sectoral issues and policy for Southeast Asia office

IndustriALL is a global trade union federation with 550 affiliates in 130 countries, representing over 50 million workers, including in the mining, energy, and manufacturing sectors. IndustriALL focuses on building union power all over the world through organizing and campaigning, fighting for an economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.

The IndustriALL Southeast Asia office in Malaysia is one of five regional offices, covering Southeast and East Asia, as well as the Pacific. IndustriALL is looking for a regional cross-sectoral issues (1) and policy officer in the region. The position will be supervised by IndustriALL’s regional secretary.

This full-time position is based in Malaysia, with some travel required, particularly in the region covered by the office.

The main tasks will be:

Cross sectoral issues

Policy

Other tasks

Requirements

Salary and benefits

Salary, worktime, health and travel insurance, pension, medical reimbursement, skills improvement package, and other benefits will be in line with IndustriALL’s regional framework agreement.

Deadline for applications: 7 March, 2025

Please send your application, including CV and motivation letter, by e-mail to the regional secretary, Southeast Asia Office, Ramon Certeza by the deadline. In line with IndustriALL’s gender policy, we encourage applications from female candidates.

After an evaluation, short-listed candidates will be interviewed. The hiring process will be completed by April 2025, and the successful candidate will start working on 1 May 2025

(1) Cross-sectoral matters: OHS, trade, digitalization, artificial intelligence, future of work, climate change, energy transition, Just Transition, supply chains, industrial policy, policy & advocacy research, wage-related matters.

Indonesia unions calling for replacement of Omnibus Law

The Indonesian Constitutional Court accepted 21 of 71 petition points from unions last November and ordered the government to pass a new law within two years. Unions are now planning the next steps in the anti-Omnibus Law campaign.

At the IndustriALL Indonesia unity meeting on 31 January-1 February in Jakarta, the council decided to form a labour law reform team to study remaining Omnibus Law issues.

The team will prepare a list of common demands of IndustriALL affiliates by December and consult legal experts before sharing it with stakeholders. The participants said it is imperative to include IndustriALL affiliates’ demands in the upcoming new labour law.

IndustriALL Indonesia council chairperson Iwan Kusmawan said : 
 

“The anti-Omnibus Law struggle after the constitutional court decision is to monitor the implementation of the court decision, particularly on wage stagnation before the court decision. In 2025, President Prabowo increased the provincial or district minimum wages by 6.5 per cent and set the sectoral minimum wage. We welcome the announcement and promulgation of the new ministerial order on minimum wage 2025.”

On 13 February, IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, wrote to the Indonesian government and urged the president to take immediate action and begin comprehensive consultations with trade unions, including IndustriALL affiliates, to enforce the Constitutional Court’s ruiling and legislate a new employment law. He emphasized that minimum wage covering all workers and sectoral minimum wage be reinstated. 
 
IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said :
 

“IndustriALL believes that both the confederation and federation of trade unions should play an active role in fighting the regressive Omnibus law. We will communicate with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to promote the vertical cooperation of trade unions in Indonesia.”

 
Furthermore, the Indonesia unity meeting recommended setting up an OSH-alarm centre to activate the occupational safety and health department of each affiliate. The participants agreed to improve collective bargaining agreements to protect freedom of association and include just transition provisions.  
 
IndustriALL Indonesia council also committed to increase the participation of women and youth in union structures, women and youth committees and negotiation teams of collective bargaining.

Campaigning Yazaki workers reach favourable agreement after company closes plants in Uruguay

Tripartite negotiations were held between Yazaki, the labour ministry and representatives from the National Union of Metal and Allied Workers (UNTMRA, IndustriALL affiliate in Uruguay), the union federation PIT-CNT and IndustriALL with the aim of reaching an agreement for 1,200 workers who lost their jobs with the sudden closure of the company's two plants in the country. 

After intense talks an agreement was reached and then approved by the workers’ assembly. Yazaki agreed to respect its former employees’ right to a final settlement and to grant a once-off severance payment and special unemployment insurance for one year, representing an additional payout of US$3.5 million for workers.

The president of the PIT-CNT, Marcelo Abdala, explained at a press conference held on 12 February, that the agreement also included key provisions to ensure the professional reorientation of workers once the company closes its doors:

“It sets out the possibility for workers to have their employment profiles analysed and to receive training through the National Institute for Employment and Vocational Training and support and advice at various levels, including from the State, the Canelones and Colonia regional authorities and unions, to facilitate labour reintegration, which is so important.”

He explained that Yazaki management also corrected their statements and acknowledged in writing in the agreement that the closure was not due to alleged conflicts with the union, but rather to production costs and competitiveness. The union leader believes that Uruguay's competitive edge should be driven by quality, a genuine increase in productivity and the production capacity of labour:

“For this reason, the PIT-CNT put forward a proposal to the future government to set up a three-way negotiating mechanism involving employers, government and workers. The aim is to establish an industrial policy and diversify the production matrix, laying the foundations for a development strategy that prevents situations like this from occurring.”

At the same time, worker delegates from Yazaki’s Las Piedras and Colonia plants thanked the workers’ movement and neighbours for standing with them, highlighting workers’ struggles and the unity of the people of Uruguay.  

IndustriALL Latin America regional secretary, Marino Vani, said:

“We want to congratulate the workers, our affiliate UNTMRA and the PIT-CNT for their campaign, for standing up against the abuses and unilateral dismissals that Yazaki carried out in Uruguay without prior discussions with the workers. 

Once again we’ve seen that if we as workers don’t stand up and fight back there would be no dialogue, which is what made this agreement – and the economic and social benefits it provides – possible. Our struggle continues. Only by showing unity and having strong unions can we build dialogue and ensure respect for workers. Otherwise, we will become slaves.”

Photo: PIT-CNT

Binding agreements in global supply chains: strengthening workers’ rights and reducing investor risk

The guidance emerged from investor concerns about the weakness of the prevailing voluntary, for-profit “social auditing” model of supply chain due diligence, and growing interest in the alternative model of binding agreements, such as the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Sector.

Binding agreements have shown promise on multiple levels, from legal accountability to transparency, independent monitoring, and remedy for rights violations. In 2023-2024 IndustriALL organized a series of investor round tables on the topic. Out of this work, a number of investors decided to form a working group under the umbrella of the LRIN, a global investor network focusing on the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Over the past year, the working group – comprising asset managers, asset owners and investment service providers along with IndustriALL and the Committe on Workers' Capital LRIN staff – produced a set of expectations and guidance on supply chain due diligence. The document contains a deep dive on binding agreements and why they show promise not only in addressing labour rights violations in global supply chains but how they may also reduce risks for corporations and their investors.

“We joined the investor working group for reasons of alignment and simplification: it’s important for all investors to be asking the same questions of companies, especially in the area of human rights, which is vast and can cause investors to shy away.

“As investors we can apply a top-down or bottom-up approach on investee companies regarding human rights and payment of living wages, where strengthening freedom of association and collective bargaining through binding agreements is a part of the bottom-up approach. We believe that the best and fastest results can be achieved when we align and simplify the different approaches as much as possible without losing granularity,”

says Petter Forslund of Swedish pension fund AP2.

The guidance aligned well with a key focus of this year’s Forum: making mandatory due diligence legislation work in the sector. Throughout the conference, representatives from multiple sectors – labour, corporations, investors, NGOs and government – spoke of the importance of mandatory human rights due diligence to “level the playing field” for companies, ensure access to remedy for workers and encourage cooperation and coherence in addressing environmental and human rights risks in supply chains.

IndustriALL textile and garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen says:

“Binding agreements are increasingly important for showing positive change in supply chains. The International Accord, for example, has over 250 signatories and has brought verifiable improvements in building safety, occupational safety and health and grievance mechanisms for workers.”

During the Forum, speakers underscored the importance of binding agreements between labour and corporations: for holding parties accountable on human rights standards, providing robust grievance mechanisms; bringing transparency to supply chain operations; and ensuring meaningful engagement between companies and workers.

“As long-term investors, pension funds engage with companies on their due diligence processes, and we want to use our leverage most effectively. Recent research shows that binding agreements can lead to better due diligence results that in turn can have financially material returns for our investments,”

says Fransje Puts of MN, an asset manager for Dutch pension funds.

The guidance and expectations document is a practical tool to guide investors on supply chain due diligence, particularly in the garment and textile sector, where binding agreements are most developed. It outlines evidence and arguments for why binding agreements – which are designed to address sectoral problems – bring benefits to workers, companies and investors that voluntary initiatives such as social audits are not designed to generate. The document’s engagement guide provides investors with key questions to ask companies, as well as a section on “anticipating company responses.” Investors will now road-test the guidance, with a plan to reconvene later this year to share their experiences.

Photo credit: Garment factory in the Philippines. ©ILO

Stellantis dismisses alternatives in determination to close Luton van plant to increase profits

In February 2022, Stellantis announced that the Luton plant was to become the second British Stellantis factory to produce electric vehicles. However, in November last year, the Group announced its plan to close the site completely, despite the high productivity of the plant.

Upon the announcement in November 2024, Unite the union issued a response stressing that:

“The proposal that has been tabled has been a complete slap in face for our members in Luton, where Vauxhall vehicles have been manufactured for 120 years.”

Both the new Stellantis European works council and industriAll Europe and IndustriALL Global Union have called for alternatives to be explored. Management responses paint a harmonious picture, suggesting that alternatives have been carefully considered and dialogue with workers has been engaged and constructive. However, the reality is a stark contrast.

Every counter proposal that was made to avert the closure of the plant has been squarely rejected by Stellantis management. High level approaches have been made by Unite the Union to senior Stellantis management to save the plant only to be dismissed without any face-to-face dialogue being granted. In addition, the UK Government has sought to persuade Stellantis to allow for more time to assess what could be done to save the plant, including offering financial support. Both proposals were rejected by management.

For the over a thousand workers facing redundancy, this has left a very bitter taste after years of loyalty and a strong economic performance of the site.

“It is clear that open and fair dialogue to save the plant has been stymied rendering the representatives to conclude that the decision to close which is believed to have originated from the ‘Strategic Planning Group’ has been in the pipeline for a long time and that management have merely been deceiving a highly productive workforce along the way into believing they had a future,”

says Gary Reay, Unite the Union plant convener.

Workers around the world in Stellantis sites have been watching the situation closely and showing solidarity with Luton’s workforce. The situation risks overall worker trust in the management at a crucial time for the company in the aftermath of the departure of CEO Carlos Tavares last year.

Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s general secretary says:

“Stellantis’ behaviour towards its loyal workforce in Luton is reprehensible – they are sacrificing a productive site and manufacturing excellence on the alter of shareholder value and profit maximisation. Alternatives put forward by the workforce and government have been dismissed without full consideration demonstrating the cavalier attitude of management. It’s time for Stellantis management to take their responsibility towards their workforce and the local community in Luton, and elsewhere, seriously. Their future as a company depends on the ingenuity and commitment of their workers and we are all watching this appalling behaviour."

Says IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Atle Høie:

“The 1,100 workers in Luton at risk of losing their jobs are our colleagues in a community with families and friends. This devastating decision should not be made lightly and company management needs to engage with the union, who time and again has asked for dialogue, to find an acceptable solution for the future.”

Photo credit: Stellantis

Safety lapses persist at SN Corporation shipbreaking yard

This is the second incident at SN Corporation in under five months. In September, last year, a deadly explosion claimed the lives of seven workers and seriously injured over ten. Following this, Bangladesh’s ministry of industries had imposed a fine of 2.6 million BDT (US$ 21,096) on the company along with suspending all operations at the yard for three months.
 
IndustriALL affiliates Bangladesh Metal Workers' Federation- BMF and Bangladesh Metal Chemical Garment and Tailors Workers' Federation- BMCGTWF indicated that the 3 February incident occurred on the same ship. A cutter named Sohel Rana, 32, was working when a fire broke out, injuring his left ear. He was immediately rushed to the yard hospital. Later, he was taken to a diagnostic centre for further check-up as he continued experiencing sharp pain in his left ear and difficulty hearing.
 
While talking to the IndustriALL South Asia co-ordinator and local union leaders, he also shared about harsh working conditions on the yard, particularly since January. Issues he highlighted included intensification of workload, 12-hour workdays without any overtime, no provisions for lunch or refreshments and workers have not yet received wages for January.
 
SN Corporation has a Hong Kong Convention (HKC) compliance certificate issued by ClassNK – Nippon Kaiji Kyokai. HKC compliant companies are required to report industrial incidents, including a minor one, which occurs in their yards. On the contrary, not only did SN Corporation not report the incident but also publicly denied that any such incident occurred in its yard on 3 February or at any time recently.
 
Walton Pantland, IndustriALL director for shipbuilding and shipbreaking, says: 

“The fact that another accident happened so soon after the company was given permission to reopen and that the company publicly denied the occurrence of the accident suggests that no lessons were learnt from the previous industrial homicide. Companies like SN Corporation undermine the whole industry and faith in the HKC as a mechanism for improvement. Government of Bangladesh needs to urgently improve its industrial safety inspectorate to ensure that shipyards are complying.”

Global brands urged to support fair wages for Cambodian garment workers

In order to ensure fair wages and a sustainable supply chain, IndustriALL is signing individual agreements with brands sourcing from Cambodia. The agreement (Agreement to Support Collectively Bargained Wages in the Garment, Textile, Footwear and Travel Goods Industry in Cambodia) outlines how brands and retailers will support the implementation of collective bargaining agreements at factory level which in turn improves wages and working conditions for workers, strengthen industrial relations, establishes a functioning dispute resolution mechanism and foster skills development.  
 
Highlighting the urgent need for collective action to ensure fair wages and a sustainable supply chain, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

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

The agreement is part of the ACT programme in Cambodia, enabling brands to engage meaningfully with unions, manufacturers and fellow retailers, setting a new industry standard for stable, predictable and responsible supply chains.
 
By signing the agreement, brands commit to an industrial relations model that balances the priorities of workers, manufacturers and retailers alike. The initiative also aligns with due diligence requirements on stakeholder engagement, wages, and freedom of association (FOA), ensuring a transparent and responsible approach to sourcing practices.
 
The agreement, which has already been signed by leading brands like H&M Group, Primark and PVH, provides a structured framework to support the implementation of factory-level collective bargaining agreements.

“We urge more global brands sourcing from Cambodia to follow the lead of their industry peers and commit to binding agreements that support collective bargaining and wage improvements in the country,”

says Atle Høie.