Korean court upholds union action against workplace facial recognition

In its ruling, the court stated that “the removal of facial recognition devices was an unavoidable measure taken by workers to protect their right to informational self-determination and other fundamental rights.” The court further emphasized that facial recognition data constitutes highly sensitive personal information that is irreversible once leaked. It concluded that protecting such rights “does not violate social norms and constitutes a legitimate act as well as lawful trade union activity.”

The devices had been installed in April 2025 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in offices and changing rooms, reportedly to manage subcontracted workers, without prior consultation with the union.

Raising concerns about privacy, data protection and the lack of dialogue, union members removed around 80 devices. The company subsequently suspended 25 union members and officials for five and three weeks, respectively.

The court’s decision follows earlier rulings in favour of the union. In July 2025, the Ulsan District Court dismissed the company’s application for an injunction seeking to halt the removal of the devices. The Ulsan Regional Labour Relations Commission also ruled that the disciplinary measures imposed on union members were unfair.

IndustriALL automotive director, Georg Leutert, said:

“This ruling is a significant victory for workers’ rights and trade union legitimacy. The court has clearly affirmed that workers have the right to defend their privacy and fundamental freedoms in the workplace. Digital technologies, including biometric surveillance, cannot be imposed unilaterally and without consultation. Employers must respect collective bargaining and ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of dignity and fundamental rights.”

The judgment marks an important affirmation of trade union rights and the protection of workers’ personal data in the face of expanding digital surveillance at work. As biometric monitoring technologies become more widespread in industrial workplaces, the ruling underscores that employers must respect workers’ fundamental rights and engage in meaningful consultation with unions.

Responsible exit is the only responsible choice in Myanmar’s war economy

Five years after the military coup, Myanmar is no longer a “high-risk sourcing destination.” It is a war economy.

The garment sector remains one of the junta’s largest sources of hard currency. The World Bank reported US$5.5 billion in garment exports in 2022. Exports remained above US$5 billion in 2023 before falling to US$4.46 billion in 2024. In that same year, Europe alone imported approximately €2.8 billion worth of textile and clothing products from Myanmar, much of it entering duty-free under the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.

These are not neutral trade statistics. They represent large-scale foreign-exchange inflows into a financial system tightly controlled by the military authorities.

State media reports document repeated Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) foreign-exchange allocations to priority imports such as fuel and edible oil. On 2 September 2024, the CBM instructed that up to 75 per cent of foreign currency earned from trade, CMP garment exports, and natural-resource sales could be directed toward fuel and palm-oil imports. As economist Sean Turnell has detailed in The Military, Money, and Myanmar: Breaking the Nexus, post-coup measures have centralized foreign-exchange control through forced currency conversions, multiple exchange rates, restrictions on outward payments and tight control over currency dealers. Export earnings, including those from garments, do not flow freely in such a system. They are captured and redirected.

They help sustain regime priorities.

Myanmar’s military continues aerial bombardments, forced recruitment, arbitrary detention and the systematic destruction of civilian communities. Oil and dual-use fuel imports are indispensable to these operations. When foreign currency is centrally controlled, it becomes part of the machinery that enables repression.

The international community has acknowledged this crisis.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions under Executive Order 14014 targeting military leaders and military-linked enterprises. The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and the European Union have adopted parallel restrictive measures. These sanctions prohibit making funds or economic resources available to designated actors. They are intended to prevent financial support from sustaining the junta.

Yet sanctions cannot achieve their purpose if broader commercial activity continues to generate foreign exchange that enters the same controlled system. When currency is captured and reallocated by the military authorities, continued sourcing risks undermining the objectives of sanctions policy.

In June 2025, the International Labour Organization invoked Article 33 of its Constitution, an extraordinary measure used only in cases of serious and persistent violations. The ILO called on member States to review their relations with Myanmar and ensure they do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to ongoing abuses.

That review must extend to trade preferences.

Myanmar continues to benefit from the EU’s EBA scheme, which grants duty-free market access on the condition of compliance with core human rights and labour conventions. Those conditions are plainly not met. Freedom of association has been dismantled. Independent unions have been outlawed. Trade union leaders face arrest and persecution. Continuing EBA under these circumstances sends a dangerous signal: that systematic violations do not carry meaningful economic consequences.

The EU should immediately initiate suspension of EBA preferences for Myanmar. This is not a measure against workers; it is a measure against a regime that captures trade revenues. Preferential access should not be allowed to strengthen a system that systematically crushes labour rights.

Some brands argue that enhanced human rights due diligence allows them to remain responsibly engaged. But due diligence requires workers to speak freely and organise independently. Those conditions do not exist. Monitoring mechanisms cannot substitute for freedom of association. In the absence of genuine mitigation possibilities, continued sourcing becomes increasingly indefensible.

Where mitigation is impossible, disengagement becomes necessary under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

This does not mean abrupt withdrawal without safeguards. It means responsible exit.

Responsible exit requires advance notice, wage guarantees, severance payments and compensation funds. It requires consultation with legitimate worker representatives, including those in exile. It requires safeguards to prevent factories or contracts from being transferred to military-linked conglomerates.

Responsible exit is not abandonment. It is refusal to remain financially entangled in repression.

Myanmar’s workers have already paid a heavy price for resisting military rule. Many joined the Civil Disobedience Movement. Many have been dismissed, displaced or forced into hiding. They do not ask for cosmetic audits. They ask for international actors to align their economic decisions with their stated commitments to human rights.

In a war economy, neutrality is an illusion.

Trade, sourcing and sanctions policy must be brought into coherence with reality. Continuing business as usual while repression deepens is not a neutral choice. It is a choice that carries responsibility.

The credibility of global labour rights and human rights commitments now depends on whether governments and brands are prepared to act accordingly.

Initiative in Mexico targets industrial homicide after Pasta de Conchos

The disaster at the Pasta de Conchos mine in Coahuila killed 65 Grupo México miners working in high-risk conditions. Workers had repeatedly reported serious safety failures, including inadequate ventilation, methane gas build-up and lack of essential equipment. Although the company insisted the mine was safe, later investigations and testimonies pointed to dangerous conditions. Grupo México denied responsibility from the outset and suspended rescue efforts after five days, leaving 63 miners trapped underground.

MP Jesús Jiménez recently presented a bill to the House of Commons in Mexico to incorporate the concept of “industrial homicide” into the Penal Code, with the aim of holding companies criminally accountable for worker deaths resulting from serious breaches of industrial safety and occupational health regulations. The proposal seeks to establish legal mechanisms to prevent similar industrial tragedies.

The initiative was originally drafted by Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, general secretary of IndustriALL affiliate Los Mineros, to ensure corporate responsibility is not diluted through administrative procedures. Gómez Urrutia has also called for the immediate rescue of the workers, an objective, independent and neutral investigation to determine the causes and punish those responsible with the full force of the law, and — in cases of death — fair and dignified compensation for the families.

Gómez Urrutia explained to Mexican publication La Jornada:

“The aim is to strengthen the legal framework so that the corporate obligation to guarantee safety does not remain a dead letter and that, when negligence leads to death, there are clear criminal consequences. It is about transforming the world of work into a fairer and more dignified one, where the lives of workers are worth more than any profit, gain or financial balance sheet. (…) Pasta de Conchos cannot be forgotten or abandoned.”

IndustriALL General Secretary Atle Høie said:

“Twenty years after the tragic industrial homicide in Pasta de Conchos, Mexico, justice has still not been done for the 65 victims and their families. Grupo México has not assumed its responsibilities and the country has not honoured their sacrifice by creating legislation that guarantees corporate accountability, at least not yet. The new legislation must create safe mining and functioning chains of responsibility. The 65 miners who lost their lives and their families deserve this respect, as do all mining communities in Mexico.”

Deadly mud rush traps miners 800 metres underground

Mud rush traps miners

A mud rush in the early hours of 17 February sent an influx of mud and water surging through sections of the shaft, trapping miners at depths of more than 800 metres. On 20 February, minister of mineral and petroleum resources, Gwede Mantashe, visited the site and said the miners must be presumed deceased due to their prolonged exposure to extreme conditions.

Union expresses sympathy

Mosepedi Sanane, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Kimberley regional secretary, expressed sympathy:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and colleagues of the affected workers at this profoundly challenging time. We continue to hold onto the faint hope that they may yet be located alive and returned safely.”

Call for independent investigation

Whilst prioritizing rescue efforts, the NUM has urged the department of mineral resources and energy (DMRE) to initiate a thorough and independent investigation. The union insists on a transparent process to determine the causes of the disaster and whether any lapses in safety management systems or operational protocols contributed to the disaster. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) echoed similar concerns, stressing that rescue efforts should continue.

Mining’s ongoing dangers

UASA-The Union, in its statement, underscored the persistent hazards inherent in mining, emphasising that the government, mining stakeholders, social partners and employers must increase efforts towards achieving “Zero Harm”.

“Notwithstanding existing safety protocols, mining continues to represent one of the most hazardous occupations, with workers’ lives repeatedly placed at risk. Every fatality or serious injury imposes severe economic hardship on dependent families, eroding household financial security and long-term livelihoods,”

states UASA.

Stronger safety measures urged

Additionally, the unions say the mud rush underscored the need for rigorous risk assessment, enhanced geotechnical monitoring, and strict enforcement of regulatory standards to mitigate workers’ health and safety risks.

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining, said:

“This tragedy highlights ongoing structural challenges in South African mining safety, particularly in smaller diamond operations, where geological risks such as mud rushes worsened by groundwater or rainwater can lead to rapid and devastating flooding. This calls for regular inspections and adherence to mine health and safety protocols.”

Turning HRDD from compliance into power

Opening the meeting, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Atle Høie warned that while global framework agreements have pushed the agenda forward, not being legally binding they still lack the reach needed to fully protect workers. Recent laws in for example France, Germany, Norway and at EU level mark major progress compared with five years ago, he said, but implementation is now the decisive battleground.

Judith Kirton-Darling, general secretary of industriAll Europe warned, in her opening remarks that legal frameworks mean little unless unions act together to put union power at the centre and turn HRDD into a living tool. She stressed that as business models change, we must change too, ensuring that we are constantly representing workers rights and trade union freedom in this rapidly changing economy.

The task for unions is to build real momentum around HRDD by connecting organizing efforts across the Global North and South and making due diligence work across entire supply chains. Strong unions and sustainable structures are essential, Høie stressed, because without trade unions there is no real democracy.

Unions must drive the change

Across the two days, speakers highlighted both opportunity and risk. Veronica Nilsson of TUAC pointed to the continued importance of OECD national contact points, while IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kan Matsuzaki stressed the need to build union density and support workers directly on the ground.

Participants voiced strong concern about companies whitewashing their records through weak industry initiatives and voluntary audits. The priority, many said, is changing the reality in workplaces through stronger monitoring, communication and cross-border union networks.

Sector discussions underscored the urgency. Justice Chinhema of ZDAMWU in Zimbabwe reported daily violations of fundamental trade union rights in mining and questioned how HRDD frameworks apply when investors in Sub-Saharan Africa come from outside Europe. Claudia Rahman of IG Metall stressed that effective HRDD depends on robust structures and honest reporting of risks, including retaliation against workers. Headquarters unions have important leverage, she noted, but cannot succeed without far closer cooperation with unions in production countries. Ildikó Krén of industriAll Europe highlighted the need to train workers and develop concrete organising strategies that translate HRDD from an abstract system into real improvements in working conditions.

Day two focused on coordination along global value chains. Karin Ström of Unionen presented a transparency analysis tool for mapping supply chains, while Nazma Akter of Bangladeshi union SGSF pointed to the International Accord as proof that legally binding, worker-driven mechanisms can deliver when backed by unity.

The message from Paris was clear: unions are match ready with tools in hand. The challenge now is to use them strategically, so HRDD becomes not just compliance, but leverage.

From compliance to real leverage

Building on the discussions held in Paris, industriAll Europe and IndustriALL Global Union will continue advancing the dialogue on how to translate these insights into a more structured and coordinated approach. Potential next steps include further mapping of regulatory and leverage tools, strengthening global union networks, exploring ways to better integrate HRDD into Global Framework Agreements, and enhancing affiliate capacity at all levels.

Unions in Argentina stage national strike against labour reform

The aim was to reject the ‘labour modernization’ bill promoted by Argentine President Milei on the same day it was debated in the Chamber of Deputies. Workers claim that it could increase job insecurity by eliminating individual and collective rights enshrined in the National Constitution.

In the early hours of Friday morning, Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved the labour reform by 135 votes in favour and 115 against. However, as amendments were made, it must still return to the Senate to be ratified and become law. The most significant amendment was the removal of Article 44, which reduced sick leave pay from 100 per cent to 75 per cent or 50 per cent.

In its official call for a national strike, the General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic (CGT) indicated that some 120,000 private sector jobs and 80,000 public sector jobs were lost, and the number of employees in private households fell by 25,000 during Milei’s two years in office. It also claimed that the crisis had worsened, the industrial fabric had been destroyed, unemployment had risen, consumption had fallen, and household and government debt had increased.

CGT pointed out that the serious problems of poverty, unemployment, precariousness and deterioration of the social situation are not the result of the laws governing the labour market, but are direct consequences of the lack of growth and productive investment in national economic policies. The CGT stressed that unionized workers are open to genuine labour modernization that respects acquired rights and works together towards a project for a country with better prospects for personal, family and community development, on a balanced path of progress and social growth.

The CTA Autónoma (CTA-A) and CTA de los Trabajadores (CTA-T) trade union confederations also joined the strike against the labour reform, saying it is regressive for the working class. The CTA-A stated that the labour reform bill is a direct attack on the rights of the entire population and a blow to democracy. It emphasised that it eliminates historic achievements such as paid holidays, weekly rest, severance pay, the eight hour working day and minimum protection guarantees. It warned that the consequences would be greater precariousness, growth in informality, increased unemployment and greater social exclusion.

The CTA-T described the reform as an attack by the government on workers, coming at an alarming time, as Argentina has one of the lowest average wages in Latin America, with a loss of around 30 per cent in purchasing power, amid announcements of thousands of new redundancies. It explained that the labour reform and austerity measures are not isolated measures, but part of a regressive project that seeks to offload the crisis onto those who live from their work.

IndustriALL strongly supports the unions in Argentina in their opposition to the labour reform. The proposed labour reform raises serious concerns from a union perspective as it proposes measures that could weaken collective bargaining, restrict trade union activity and affect fundamental rights recognized by ILO international labour standards, in particular freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said:

“I congratulate our Argentine affiliates for standing up to these attacks on workers’ rights. The revision of labour legislation is a clear signal from President Milei that he does not care about workers. The national strike has demonstrated strong opposition that Parliament should take into account.”

Shifting gears in Chattanooga: VW workers drive home landmark contract

The agreement locks in 20 per cent wage increases, reductions in healthcare costs, job security guarantees and an enforceable grievance procedure ,delivering long-awaited dignity, security and respect on the job. The vote marks the culmination of a years-long struggle to secure union recognition and collective bargaining rights.

The victory follows the workers’ overwhelming decision in April 2024 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), a breakthrough moment for organizing in the traditionally anti-union South. In October 2025, after more than a year of negotiations, workers demonstrated their determination by voting to authorize strike action to secure a fair agreement. That mandate strengthened their bargaining power and, in early February, a tentative deal was reached, now emphatically endorsed by the membership.

“This victory shows what happens when workers stand up and refuse to be ignored. We didn’t just win better wages and raise standards at our plant, we forced respect onto the table and got it all in writing,” said Yogi Peoples, a member of the bargaining committee from Assembly. “Our victory here at Volkswagen should send a message to autoworkers everywhere: don’t let management divide you. When workers fight together, united and unafraid, we can beat the odds and win.”

UAW president, Shawn Fain, praised the workers’ courage and persistence:

“Volkswagen workers have moved yet another mountain. From having the courage to stand up and form their union, to having the backbone to authorize a strike and hold out for a contract that honours their worth. VW workers are leading the way for the entire labour movement and non-union autoworkers everywhere. Welcome to the UAW family.”

The Chattanooga victory was achieved with solidarity beyond borders. Workers received support from the Volkswagen Works Council and Germany’s powerful metalworkers’ union, IG Metall, an IndustriALL affiliate, demonstrating the importance of global trade union cooperation in multinational companies.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary, Atle Høie, welcomed the breakthrough:

“This is a landmark victory not only for Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, but for workers across the United States and globally. It proves that when workers organize collectively and stand firm, they can win binding agreements. This sends a powerful signal to multinational companies everywhere: respect for trade union rights and collective bargaining is not optional it is fundamental.”

Soon after winning union recognition, workers elected a 20-member negotiating committee made up of their peers, ensuring the bargaining agenda reflected shop-floor priorities. The ratified contract now provides a legally binding framework guaranteeing fair pay, more affordable healthcare, safer working conditions and clear protections against favouritism.

Photos: UAW website

Myanmar workers and democratic unions face mounting pressure under military rule

On 15 February, IndustriALL leadership met union leaders of the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) in exile to discuss the continuing challenges facing workers and trade union members since the 2021 military coup. The meeting also included online participation from IWFM leaders and members still inside the country, underscoring the union’s continued work despite repression and security threats.

For more than five years, Myanmar’s military authorities have intensified their crackdown on civil society, democratic movements and workers’ rights. IWFM reported that independent trade unions have been banned, leaders arrested and freedom of association severely restricted, affecting workers and unions both inside the country and in exile.

IWFM leaders in exile described the conditions that forced them to flee following the military takeover, sharing accounts of systematic suppression of trade union activity and the collapse of basic labour protections under military rule.

Khaing Zar Aung, chairperson of IWFM, said:

“Since the military coup, many IWFM union leaders have been forced to live in exile under extremely difficult circumstances. They face ongoing insecurity, unstable legal status, financial hardship and separation from their families, while continuing to carry out their trade union responsibilities. Despite these challenges, they remain committed to organizing workers, documenting labour rights violations, advocating internationally and coordinating support networks for displaced and migrant workers.

“Living in exile requires constant adaptation — navigating new legal systems, securing basic livelihoods and maintaining communication with colleagues inside Myanmar under repression. Their resilience and solidarity have enabled IWFM to sustain its organizational structures and continue the struggle for workers’ rights, democracy and social justice, even under prolonged displacement.”

IWFM leaders stressed that the current moment represents a critical test for the international community, particularly regarding the implementation of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution. 

Article 33 allows the ILO to call on member states to take measures when a country fails to comply with recommendations addressing serious and persistent violations of labour standards.

While full enforcement remains complex, IWFM emphasized that coordinated pressure from governments, employers and global institutions is essential to ensure that ILO decisions are not merely symbolic. The federation reiterated its policy to work with CTUM and allied democratic forces to advance implementation of Article 33 measures.

IWFM and IndustriALL agreed to intensify advocacy for meaningful follow-up under Article 33, aimed at holding the military authorities accountable, restricting access to economic resources that fuel repression and restoring respect for fundamental labour rights in Myanmar. The joint action plan includes strengthening the work inside the country with organizing and addressing the conflict cases with remediation.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“We deeply admire the courage and determination of the union leaders of the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar, both those in exile and those continuing their work inside the country under immense risk. Their steadfast commitment is not only defending workers’ rights today; it is helping to set the course toward the restoration of peace, democracy and a future for Myanmar.

“You are not alone in your struggle for democracy in Myanmar. IndustriALL is here and fully supports you.”

The meeting formed part of a joint ITUC-AP and Global Union Federations mission, together with the Confederation of Trade Unions in Myanmar (CTUM), to discuss coordinated action in supporting democracy and democratic union movement around CTUM, including the campaign over the ILO Article 33 resolution. The delegation also held dialogue with representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG) representatives, including the Ministry of labour.

“I was not a prisoner, I was hostage of the system”: Gennady Fedynich after his release from Belarusian jail

In December last year, IndustriALL travelled to Villnius to meet with Gennady Fedynich. In this interview, he speaks about his imprisonment, his health, the destruction of independent trade unions in Belarus and the challenges facing unionists in exile.

Belarus is one of the worst countries in the world for workers here independent trade unions have been dismantled, labour rights criminalized and freedom of association completely suppressed, prompting urgent calls for international action and ILO intervention. Unions in Belarus have been under attack since August 2020, with searches of union offices and homes of union leaders and activists, administrative penalties, detentions and imprisonments of those who fight for workers’ rights.

You are free, even though deported. How are you today?

“Prison leaves a mark on you. I am taking care of my lost health. I developed diabetes in prison and was supposed to have joint replacement surgery, but I declined. One of the doctors said it would be better not to do it — I might not survive.. Curing people in our country is a problem, but getting rid of bodies is not.

You have spent many years in the trade union movement. Looking back, what stands out to you?

“I was 32 when I joined the trade union movement, and I worked for 35 years in it. I don’t regret it in any way.”

In April 2022, the Committee for State Security of Belarus (KGB) labelled the REP an extremist organization and banned its activities.  The KGB claimed that REP had failed to comply with a court decision ordering the removal of certain materials they considered extremist. The union response was simple: they had never received that court decision and therefore could neither appeal it nor comply with it.

“When the KGB realized this, they understood the case should have been closed. But closing it would have required reporting to higher rank officer, so the case continued and the court decision itself was essentially fabricated.

“Over the years, there was increased pressure on unions in Belarus. I have always wondered why leaders of REP received the longest prison terms, eight, nine and  ten years. The KGB told me they had been observing me for 16 years. That is a long time.”

What lead to your imprisonment?

“It was in 2023, we were three REP members in court at that time, in a closed hearing. A new charge was introduced – Article 130 – and in addition, we were declared extremists, which carries a sentence of up to twelve years. The court did not cite a single fact proving extremism, and the prosecution had not even requested the application of this article.

“We denied all allegations but it was all decided beforehand.In Belarus, there is what we call telephone justice and decisions are made by orders from above rather than in court. The judge didn’t give us the maximum sentence. When asked, she said it was because we were retirees.”

What were the conditions in prison like?

“The staff get their orders from Minsk. And political prisoners make up a special category, designed to be mocked. Other prisoners were not allowed to communicate with us.

“The informants got tea, coffee and cigarettes in return for information, including information about political prisoners. And you could buy goods for 200 rubles if you were a normal prisoner. But a political prisoner could only buy for 80 rubles.

“At first they gave us prison quilted jackets, but later they were taken away. At night, you were able to sleep for maybe 30 minutes, then you would wake up because it was so cold. So I usually got up and did some exercise.

“Everyone goes through solitary confinement. I spent  ten days there.  There were only benches. During the day you were not allowed to lie down, you could only sit up.”

Were there moments that particularly stand out?

“Just before our release when we were moved to the KGB prison, in the morning, they played the national anthem of Belarus and wanted everyone to stand up. There were 13 of us who refused to stand. As a consequence we were denied breakfast.

They confiscated case materials, personal correspondence, photographs of family members, an electric razor and even 700 rubles of my pension.  When leaving the prison, we signed a document stating that everything is returned, but the truth is that nothing was returned.”

Would it be possible to recreate REP in Belarus again?

“Of course, a formal decision to recreate the union can be made, but but this must be accompanied by concrete decisions, including the return of our office, otherwise it is meaningless.. It is very dangerous to be an independenttrade unionist in Belarus, so today it is not possible to say that we can simply recreate our trade union.

“Trade unions are important in politics. We know today, that around 20 trade unionists are still in prison in Belarus, but there may be others we do not know about.

“But one day things will change in Belarus, so we need to be prepared.”

How do you communicate with your family that is still in Belarus?

“We talk on the phone.  After my release, and I was not even given any document confirming that I had been released, my wife and eldest son came to see me. Once my wife got a call asking where her husband is. She learned to answer: he is where you brought him.

“But being separated is a huge problem for us. We would like to be together, but where would we live? My wife is retiring so she could join me. The law in Belarus has changed so that you now have to be physically in the country to conduct any real-estate transactions. I cannot return to Belarus, because I no longer have a national passport, so we are stuck at the moment.

“It is an uncertain situation that does not have a simple solution. So we have to be careful what we say and do to protect our relatives in Belarus. But we are still planning our future to go back to Minsk. This uncertain status we have does not have a simple solution.”

Four years of war: Workers still paying the price in Ukraine

Russia’s war of aggression, which began with the full-scale assault on 24 February 2022, continues to inflict devastating losses on Ukrainian workers and their unions. Mines, railways and energy infrastructure remain targets and civilians are paying with their lives as the invasion enters its fourth year.

On 1 February 2026, Russian forces struck a coal mining enterprise and a bus carrying miners between shifts in the Dnipropetrovsk region using Shahed-type drones. Twelve people were killed-ten mineworkers and two civilians who rushed to assist-and at least 16 were injured, several seriously. Ninety-one miners were trapped underground in dangerous conditions.These were energy workers keeping Ukraine’s power system running during a freezing winter.

The same week, a passenger train was hit by a drone, killing civilians inside a railcar. Energy infrastructure, railways and industrial facilities remain systematic targets. Entire cities are repeatedly left without electricity, heating and water. Workers in frontline and near-frontline regions continue to labour under constant threat.

Workers have paid a heavy price. More than 1,000 were injured at workplaces in 2025 as a result of hostile attacks, including over 200 fatalities. In the first weeks of 2026 alone, dozens more workers have been injured and killed on the job.

Energy workers, miners, railway workers, postal workers and emergency responders continue to work under fire to keep the country functioning. Despite severe winter conditions, including temperatures dropping to minus 27 degrees Celsius, energy workers restore electricity after each strike only to see new attacks destroy their efforts again. The office of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU) has been without power for up to 20–22 hours per day, yet continues its work defending members and providing assistance.

Ukrainian unions appeal for urgent solidarity

In early February, the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine appealed to IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe following the latest deadly attacks. The union underlined that these are not isolated incidents but systematic strikes on workers and critical infrastructure that sustain the country’s energy, transport and economic life.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:


“For four years, Ukrainian workers have shown extraordinary courage in defending their workplaces, their communities and their country. Russia’s continued attacks on miners, energy workers and civilians are unacceptable and must stop. The international trade union movement will not waver in its solidarity. Peace, democracy and respect for workers’ rights must prevail.”

Ukrainian unions have also raised serious concerns regarding the labour law reform process currently under way.

On 29 January 2026, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe wrote to ILO requesting urgent intervention to ensure that the reform process complies with international labour standards and guarantees genuine social dialogue.

The draft labour code was advanced rapidly without meaningful consultation with trade unions. Ukrainian affiliates have expressed deep concern about the weakening of fundamental rights and the exclusion of social partners from a process that will shape labour relations for years to come. Even in wartime, reforms must respect ILO conventions ratified by Ukraine and uphold the principles of tripartism and democratic dialogue.

Peace, democracy and reconstruction

From the first days of the invasion, IndustriALL has stood in unwavering solidarity with its Ukrainian affiliates providing humanitarian assistance, advocating internationally and supporting plans for reconstruction grounded in trade union rights.

Ukrainian unions have been clear: workers cannot bear the burden of war, reconstruction and safety risks. Rebuilding Ukraine must strengthen collective bargaining, social protection and decent work not weaken them.

IndustriALL supports the ITUC’s Trade Unions for Peace and Democracy campaign, which calls for an end to the war, full respect for international law and the restoration of peace based on justice and democracy.

Four years on, Ukrainian workers continue to defend their workplaces, communities and country under relentless attack. IndustriALL reiterates its unwavering support for Ukrainian workers and their unions and calls for an immediate end to Russia’s aggression, full respect for international humanitarian law and reconstruction anchored in trade union rights, social dialogue and democratic principles.

ITUC has established a Solidarity Fund for Ukraine and IndustriALL urges all affiliates to make targeted, earmarked contributions to the ITUC Solidarity Fund for Ukraine in solidarity with Ukrainian workers and their unions during this critical winter. Details below:

Reference: Solidarity Fund

ITUC/CSI account: 068-9007804-23

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