IndustriALL leadership reaffirms solidarity with Pakistani workers

During the council meeting in Islamabad, affiliate leaders held a detailed discussion with general secretary, Atle Høie, and assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, on urgent labour issues. Union leaders raised concerns over the continued rise in precarious work and proposed labour law reforms that threaten to further weaken workers’ rights. While workers in the textile and garment sector have long demanded living wages and better conditions, some safeguards have been introduced through the implementation of the Accord. However, the fight for safe workplaces continue, especially in the mining sector, where protections remain inadequate.

Affiliates have been raising these issues with employers and state governments and there have been some victories such including the Supreme Court order passed last year that granted 55 contract workers at IFFCO Pakistan permanent worker status.

“IndustriALL extends full support to all the struggling workers of Pakistan. We are with you in this struggle. If we want to ensure that workers’ rights are advanced, we will have to stand together and raise our voices unitedly. Unity is our biggest strength and no one can defeat in our fight for justice as long as we stand united,”

said Atle Høie.

IndustriALL also met with government officials, raising key issues around the implementation of the Hong Kong Convention, labour law reform and mine safety. The talks reflected IndustriALL’s ongoing commitment to improving occupational health and safety across sectors. Pakistan has yet to ratify ILO Convention 176, a key instrument for improving safety in mining. IndustriALL raised this concern in a meeting with federal officials, who confirmed that steps are being taken to ratify the Convention by the end of the year.

Pakistan has recently ratified three ILO instruments: the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, the Maritime Labour Convention and the Labour Statistics Convention. The government has expressed its intention to ratify three additional core conventions in the near future; Convention 155 on Occupational Safety and Health), Convention 187 on Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health and Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines). The ratifications are expected to be completed by early next year and represent a major victory for IndustriALL and affiliates in Pakistan, a testament to years of advocacy and organizing to push for stronger protections for workers.

“Along with other South Asian countries, Pakistan is facing numerous challenges, ranging from political, economic to social. To ensure that workers’ rights are protected and working conditions are improved, it is imperative that unions put up a strong united fight. Only then we will be able to advance workers’ struggle. We must continue to stand united in advocating for living wages, social security and safer workplaces, including the ratification of ILO C176 to ensure safe mining,”

said Kemal Özkan.

IndustriALL Global Union is looking for a regional officer for sectoral as well as cross sectoral issues for South Asia office

IndustriALL Global Union, which has 550 affiliates in 130 countries representing over 50 million workers in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors. IndustriALL focuses on building union power worldwide through organizing and campaigning, fighting for an economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.

The IndustriALL South Asia office in New Delhi (India) is one of four regional offices, and it covers South Asia. IndustriALL is looking for a regional officer in the region. The position will be supervised by IndustriALL’s regional secretary.

This full-time position is based in New Delhi (India), with some travel required, particularly in the region covered by the office.

The main tasks will be:

Sectoral (1) as well Cross sectoral issues (2)

Organize and coordinate the IndustriALL’s sectoral as well as cross-sectoral work in the South Asia region
Support on developing strategies and actions in line with IndustriALL’s Global Action Plan, regional priorities and strategic planning and sectoral as well as cross-sectoral matters
Development, conceptualization, coordination and effective implementation of organizing, campaign strategies and plans
Support the development and research of a supply chain trade union strategy and explore synergies across sectors and cross-sectoral issues
Work together with regional team and industrial sector directors on conflicts in multinational companies
Maintain day-to-day contacts with the affiliates related to responsible sectors and cross-sectoral issues in the region
Develop, assist and manage externally and internally funded projects, in cooperation with the project teams and project coordinators, as required
Participate in, as well as organising and preparing national / regional trade union activities, as required
Produce background documents, reports and news items in cooperation with the communications team
Will work on research and mapping as when required, supporting the research and communications officer
Write, produce and/or distribute materials and publications for use in the sector as well cross-sectoral activities
Develop online tools for the sector and cross-sectoral work
Keep regular contact with affiliates, conducting surveys and arranging exchanges among the affiliates

Other Tasks:

Ensure practical organisation of meetings, developing agendas, and communicating with affiliates
Assist in conducting workshops and seminars, as required
Any other work as assigned by the regional secretary

Requirements

At least five years experiences at national and/or international level including organizing, campaigns and training, or comparable experience
Wide experience and good understanding of the trade union movement and trade union experience in South Asian countries, regional as well as global movement
Understanding, knowledge and experience of political issues, union structures and industrial relations inSouth Asia
Commitment to trade union values, social justice, and gender equality
Excellent communication and advocacy skills, written as well as oral
Ability to work with diverse stakeholders from different countries and cultures
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, both in the regional office as well as with the central office in Geneva
Ability to articulate the goals, strategies and policies of IndustriALL Global Union and to connect local actions to Action Plan
Willingness and availability to travel, as the position will require travel within the countries covered by the South Asia office
Demonstrate ability to coordinate multi-country projects or campaigns
Ability to deliver tasks on time, as well as to multi-task and to prioritize work in fast-moving situations
Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English. Good knowledge of one or more South Asian languages is an advantage
IT skills: Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), internet browser, social media, video communication tools

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: 28 May 2025.

Applicants that meet the above-mentioned requirements can send their application, including a CV and a motivation letter, by email to the regional secretary of South Asia office, Ashutosh Bhattacharya by the deadline. In line with IndustriALL’s gender policy, we encourage applications from female candidates.

Applications missing a CV and motivation letter will not be considered. Additionally, IndustriALL does not retain applications from unsuccessful candidates. We will interview short-listed candidates and complete the application process swiftly so that the new regional officer can start work in New Delhi at the latest in July 2025.

(1) Potential sectors: base metal, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and ship recycling, ICT, electronics & electrical, materials, energy, chemical and pharmaceutical and rubber industries.

(2) Potential cross-sectoral issues: global supply chains, youth and white collars, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), industrial policy and trade and precarious work.

United struggle key to advancing workers’ rights

On May Day, IndustriALL marched the streets of Dhaka, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of workers, celebrating the struggles and victories of workers’ movement. While marking the international labour day, affiliates extended a warm welcome to IndustriALL’s leadership. Addressing a large gathering of workers, general secretary Atle Høie, said:

“We stand in complete solidarity with the workers of Bangladesh and avow to advance the fight for a safe and secure workplace and living wage for all workers. We must fight unitedly to ensure and uphold the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining for all. IndustriAll affiliates across the globe are together with you in the struggle to advance workers’ rights in Bangladesh.”

During the visit, IndustriALL’s leadership met with affiliates to discuss in detail the implementation of the ILO Roadmap and the report of the Labour Reform Commission set up by the interim government. Atle Høie and assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan also met with the Commission chairperson to discuss the report’s key issues and explore possible solutions.

One of the major concerns raised by union leaders was the abjectly low minimum wage of garment workers in the country, which despite promises by interim government are yet to be reviewed. Poverty wages have been pushing workers to work overtime, impacting their health and safety at the workplace. Leaders also shared that workers’ right to freedom of association remains under attack in the Export Processing Zones, while registration of trade unions is marred by tedious paperwork and bureaucratic processes. Blacklisting of workers, as a form of punishment for participation in trade union activities, is being used by the employers to deter workers from joining unions.

“The challenges ahead can only be fought if the affiliates operate in unity. Division is seen as weakness, is exploited by government and employers and does not serve the millions of workers that need protection. We urge our affiliates to sort out their differences and unite behind a joint set of priorities and goals,”

said Kemal Özkan.

During the visit, leadership also met government representatives to discuss the recommendations of the Labour Reform Commission, the implementation of the ILO Roadmap, as well as the country’s preparedness to implement the Hong Kong Convention on safe and sustainable shipbreaking, set to come into force in June this year. According to affiliates, Bangladesh is likely to ratify ILO Conventions 155 and 187 by the end of 2025.

Unions in Latin America’s energy sector work towards a gender-sensitive just transition

The seminar was part of a series of three such events being run by IndustriALL with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). The aim is to strengthen implementation of the trade union guide of practice for a Just Transition.

In his opening remarks, FESCOL director, Oliver Dalichau, highlighted the link between a just transition and occupational health and safety.

“It’s no coincidence that we are starting this seminar on 28 April, World day for safety and health at work,” he said. “Climate change brings major challenges for workers' health. We must ensure that all jobs are decent, safe and healthy.”

The situation in Colombia served as the starting point for discussions on the challenges that the energy sector is facing in the region. FESCOL's director of projects, Alejandra Trujillo, explained how a union coalition on ensuring a gender-sensitive just transition had been set up in Colombia as a response to the lack of women involved in advocacy on the issue.

IndustriALL assistant regional secretary, Laura Carter, spoke about multinational Glencore, a subsidiary of Prodeco, who unilaterally relinquished its mining concessions without fully complying with its social and labour-related responsibilities. She said that there were concerns that Glencore would adopt a similar strategy at its Cerrejón mine.

Lawyer Ana Catalina Herrera outlined union strategies countering Glencore’s actions, including legal efforts to protect union rights and a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The resulting decision emphasized the need for full reparations and independent complaint mechanisms to ensure responsible mine closures.

Diana Junquera Curiel, IndustriALL energy director, highlighted key global energy trends—market shifts, energy as a geopolitical tool and renewed nuclear interest—emphasizing the sector’s unpredictability with the Spain-Portugal blackout as an example.

“In a matter of hours, 7 May – still unexplained – blackout turned an entire country on its head. This kind of incident can alter how we think about an entire country’s energy strategy. As trade unions, we must think long term, try to anticipate different scenarios and develop strategies to protect workers,”

said Diana Junquera Curiel.

She also stressed the need for data on future jobs and the skills they will require. “We must get organized so that the workers who will take these new jobs are unionized and have decent working conditions. We also need to make sure that we have solutions in place for the workers who will lose their jobs – when one door closes, another must open.”

Attendees presented action plans geared towards their sectors and countries. These plans include conducting awareness-raising campaigns, labour market analysis and public policy advocacy, creating networks of women union members, setting up tripartite coalitions and including just transition clauses in collective bargaining agreements.

Attendees emphasized integrating women’s needs into transition processes by ensuring access to training, quality jobs, decision-making and social infrastructure, supported by gender-disaggregated data and efforts to address structural barriers.

Diana Junquera Curiel also emphasized that collective bargaining is a key tool in ensuring a just transition for workers. Good practices in this regard include early retirement, relocation, vocational training and investment in affected communities. Tripartite bodies and collective bargaining were also crucial to achieving these goals.

The seminar included a collective bargaining role playing exercise, giving participants the chance to practice their skills in terms of setting priorities, submitting demands and responding to employer's tactics and arguments.

IndustriALL will continue to support attendees in implementing their action plans over the year ahead.

Union petitions parliament over workers’ rights violations at Fine Spinners

UTGLAWU, an IndustriALL affiliate, is “calling for an immediate investigation and rectification of the egregious violation of workers’ rights at Fine Spinners Uganda Limited.”

In the petition on 14 April, the union strongly reminded the employer of their responsibility because workers, “deserve to work in conditions that uphold their dignity and rights.”

The union outlined how garment manufacturer, Fine Spinners, is violating workers’ rights that are protected by national labours laws. These include violations on freedom of association by refusing to sign a recognition agreement with UTGLAWU which has unionized over 50 per cent of the workers. The employer has refused to sign for over 10 years and even ignored a directive from the ministry of labour and employment to comply with the law.

Fine Spinners is also not paying wages on time making life difficult for workers and their families as they fail to pay school fees, rentals and other basics. Further, the company is paying much less than other companies. The union says workers at Fine Spinners are paid 150 000 Uganda Shillings per month (UGX) (US$41) while the industry wages are around 800 000 UGX per month (US$217). Pregnant workers lack maternity protection, including maternity leave and are required to work night shifts. The employer is also failing to remit the national social security funds deductions. Further, workers have informed the union of being locked in factories without emergency exits.

In one case, a worker reported the sexual harassment she faced and physical assaults from an attempted rape that led to severe injuries to her neck and teeth. The worker, who was seven months pregnant, had a miscarriage because of the violent attack. She reported the attempted rape to the police and the case is now in Nakawa Magistrate Court. But Fine Spinners’ response to the court action was to terminate her contract after five years of service while the perpetrator, who is a manager, remains at work.

“There are alarming reports of gender-based violence, harassment and abuse including sexual exploitation and rape by some managers which have been reported to the police and yet the perpetrators are not punished,”

said Eli Peter Bendo, UTGLAWU, general secretary.

In letters to Fine Spinners, Ugandan Member of Parliament for Workers, Byakatonda Abdulhi, said he is facilitating dialogue between the garment company and UTGLAWU to address the union’s concerns. Trade union federation, the National Organization of Trade Unions, is also involved. Through its lawyers, Fine Spinners, indicated willingness to engage in dialogue with the unions.

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

“We welcome the facilitation of dialogue by the workers’ MP and urge Fine Spinners to stop abusing workers and respect workers and human rights as well as pay living wages.”

Indian unions call for increased fight against precarious work

Precarious work was at the forefront of the discussion. Union leaders from various manufacturing sectors raised concerns regarding the urgent need to unionize precarious workers to protect their rights and guarantee improved working conditions and wages.

Occupational health and safety also remains a big challenge for precarious workers. According to union leaders, the new labour laws will further exacerbate the deteriorating state of workplace safety in Indian factories. The joint platform of central trade unions in India and sectoral federations have called for a country-wide strike on 20 May 20 demand that the implementation of new labour laws be halted.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan participated online and said:

“We are witnessing an unprecedented attack on workers’ rights all over the world and in these difficult times we must stand together and keep up the good fight. IndustriALL stands in complete support and solidarity with its Indian affiliates in their fight against precarious employment.”

Kemal Özkan informed participants about IndustriALL’s upcoming Congress in Sydney, Australia, under the slogan of Organizing for a just future.

Significant achievements and ongoing efforts of IndustriALL in the region were shared by South Asia regional secretary Ashutosh Bhattacharya. He emphasized the need and significance of Just Transition work in the region, which had been extensively covered in a half-day Just Transition session with the affiliates the day before.

During the session, union leaders highlighted the various challenges workers face today amid the ongoing transition in the manufacturing landscape. There was in-depth discussion on how the world of work is impacted by climate change and technological advancements, including heat stress, climate change induced migration, adoption of advanced robotics on shopfloor, to name a few. Trade unionists agreed to move forward by jointly submitting a letter to the Indian government detailing their demands for the country's Just Transition.

“We commend our Indian affiliates for developing national pathways and making strong progress in organizing precarious workers across the country to build a united and powerful voice for working people, advance a transformative agenda, and uphold the commitment that no worker is left behind in the transition,”

said Ashutosh Bhattacharya.

Youth and women representatives present during the meeting also put forth their demands to the council. One of the demands that young union leaders have been advocating for includes reskilling and upskilling training programmes for young workers.

India’s women’s committee, which met on 27 April, has identified three priority areas to work on which include gender pay gap, impact of technological changes on women workers and OSH issues related to menstruation, maternity and menopause.

Unionist brings worker voices to Namibian parliament

In her maiden speech, on 9 April, she called upon the Namibian government to finalize on modernization of laws that include the Labour Act, the Social Security Act and Affirmative Action (Employment) Act to ensure compliance by employers. Further, she said the work of the employment equity commission must include gender equality and underrepresented workers. She also called upon the government to

“ensure that lawful strikes are respected, and that workers do not lose income when exercising their constitutional right to strike in pursuit of fair collective bargaining.”

Honourable Jonas from the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (MANWU) is an MP from the ruling SWAPO party. She previously worked in both the formal and informal economies as a security guard, street food vendor and hairdresser, and has been an active trade unionist since 2003 and rose up to the position of general secretary.

She also served in the union’s education department where she implemented programmes on health and safety, workers’ rights, gender equality, and campaigned for youth employment and living wages.

MANWU an IndustriALL affiliate and organizes workers in construction, metal, engineering, automotive manufacturing and other industries.

Jonas supported the national budget statement plans to create 500 000 jobs, provide quality education and healthcare, equitable access to land, housing and sanitation, and poverty eradication.

She was involved in campaigns for the ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 to end violence and harassment in the world of work. In 2020 Namibia became the first African country to ratify the convention. Since then, she is involved in campaigns to implement workplace policies as per ILO Recommendation 206 (Violence and Harassment Recommendation).

“I am a deployee of the workers. For too long the voices of workers have been missing in the legislative organ of the state hence many bills were passed in parliament that sometimes compromised workers’ rights. With my experience from the world of work, I will ensure that bills that are debated during my term as MP will consider workers’ voices,”

she said in an interview with IndustriALL.

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

“We celebrate the election of Justina Jonas to the Parliament of Namibia. This is a double victory for workers' voices and for the representation of women in legislatures in Africa. She is a brilliant example of the success of our regional campaigns for gender equality and advancing women leadership.”

Her Excellency, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is Namibia’s first woman head of state and more than 50 per cent of her cabinet is composed of women. The vice president is Lucia Witbooi and eight of the country’s 14 ministers are women. Namibia’s parliament also has more than 40 per cent women MPs sitting in the house while Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, the speaker of Parliament, is a woman.

Indonesian unions launch OSH alarm centre

The alarm centre will act as an exchange platform on occupational diseases for victimized manufacturing workers in Indonesia. The centre is supported by occupational doctors, labour lawyers and NGOs working on OSH issues.

IndustriALL Indonesia affiliates commit to activate their OSH departments to engage with the alarm centre, aiming to report at least three cases to the government in 2025.

Reported occupational disease cases in Indonesia remain notably low, with only 91 in 2023, compared to 8,155 in Malaysia and 1,229 in Singapore. However, union members frequently raise concerns about lower back pain, lung disease, kidney failure and cancer during OSH meetings.

In the future, the alarm centre will convene tripartite dialogue to boost better OSH practice, particularly on occupational disease. IndustriALL Indonesia Council will also meet every month to ensure smooth coordination of the alarm centre.

IndustriALL Indonesia council chairperson Iwan Kusmawan said:

“It is the duty of trade unions to intensify supervision of occupational disease and advocate for the rights of workers affected by the disease at workplaces. The alarm centre’s reporting hotline shows that Indonesia Council is very serious in the matter. Open and transparent procedures must be followed in the event of discovery of occupational disease, speedy remedy must be provided by companies and the social security agency.”

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

“I congratulate Indonesia affiliates for setting up the alarm centre, which is a remarkable milestone to enhance the safety and health standard in manufacturing sectors in Indonesia. This shows the indispensable role of trade unions in improving workers’ health and well-being.”

Around 70 unionists attended the launch, joined by representatives from the ministry of manpower (Muhammad Idham), ministry of health (Dr. Inne Nutfiliana), the Indonesian social security council and the national occupational health working team in support of the initiative.

The activity is supported by Union to Union and IndustriALL Swedish affiliates.

IndustriALL and Sintracarbón call for meaningful dialogue with Glencore on production cuts at Cerrejón Colombia

Glencore announced that it will reduce coal output at its Cerrejón mine in Colombia by 5–10 million tonnes this year. Cerrejón claims that the cuts will have no impact on the company's social and environmental commitments, but Sintracarbón and local communities are nevertheless concerned about the effects they will have.

The union and local communities asked Cerrejón to provide more detailed information about the consequences of the cuts, but have not received a reply. Cerrejón management says that it does not have that information, as all decisions are taken by Glencore in Switzerland.

Igor Diaz, member of Sintracarbón's national executive committee, said that everything happened suddenly, with the company's announcement of the cuts taking workers by surprise:

"We want to know what Glencore is planning for Cerrejón, its subsidiary in Colombia. We want to know what it intends to do, because these decisions could create a whole army of unemployed people.”

“We want to know if this is part of the Cerrejón mine closure plan scheduled for 2034. We have been working on economic diversification, but we don’t have any alternative solutions yet”,

said Diaz.

IndustriALL’s general secretary Atle Høie wrote a letter to Glencore's CEO in Switzerland, Gary Nagle, to ask for more information on how he expects the cuts at Cerrejón not to have an impact on jobs and the company’s environmental commitments.

Høie ended his letter as follows:

“Glencore has in the past shown the ability in other jurisdictions facing similar circumstances to engage meaningfully in dialogue with workers and communities. For the sake of consistency in the application of your policies, we are calling on Glencore to ensure its plans for Cerrejón bear the hallmark of transparency.”

India: Coal workers' unions demand a Just Transition

The discussion was organized as part of the APHEDA-IndustriALL project to develop strategies on union building through focusing on Just Transition in coal mining and renewable energy sectors. Representatives from ITUC-AP also joined. The consultation meeting aimed to assess the impact of the shift to clean energy on the current workforce in coal mining as well as devise ways to mitigate the risks associated with energy transition.

During the meeting, union leaders emphasized the need for a policy framework that protects the rights and livelihoods of workers and prioritises inclusivity, social justice and economic support for those most affected by the decline in usage of coal. Unions fear massive impacts on communities that are directly or indirectly dependent on coal mines in the country. Unions have been constantly raising concerns regarding the energy transition process in India being non-inclusive and largely involving representatives at the central government ministerial levels, non-governmental organizations and research academicians at the national and internation level, while excluding voices of trade unions, precarious workers, women workers and communities that are most vulnerable in the transition process.

Report of the Indian inter-ministerial committee on ‘just transition from coal’ reported that the country's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 necessitates a significant shift from coal dependent energy production to sustainable alternatives which poses challenges, particularly for communities reliant on the coal mining sector for their livelihoods. The committee emphasized the need for actionable policies to support this shift. But, when the Indian government established a just transition committee in September 2021, both IndustriALL and ITUC affiliates were excluded from the committee thereby limiting union inputs.

IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary Ashutosh Bhattacharya, says:

“Trade unions must be central to the policy framing of a Just Transition framework, ensuring no worker is left behind. A comprehensive policy should include gender inclusivity, phased mine closures, upskilling and retention of current workers, creation of well-paid green jobs, social protection measures and the active engagement of workers in decision-making throughout the transition.”

Union members also highlighted the need and significance of comprehensive research on the issue to develop a good understanding of the impact of energy transition on coal mine workers and other related workforce in order to develop feasible strategies for just transition.

During the roundtable meeting, representatives from Coal India and Tata Steel shared the information on environmental sustainability, mine closures, procedures and guidelines for closure as well as alternative employment and green jobs created in the process while stressing the need for more actions to be taken to ensure Just Transition.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kan Matsuzaki, says:

“To ensure a just transition, policies supporting incomes and job transitions are crucial. And equally important are tripartite discussions on the issue. Unions must push for social dialogue on just energy transition. We have to start building Just Transition plan and develop campaign today, rather than waiting for decarbonization changes at work to appear.”