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Health and safety

IndustriAll demands strong international health and safety standards and empowering workers' rights to:
  -  know about hazards;
  -  refuse or stop unsafe work; and
  -  participate in health and safety decision making.
Workers' rights, employers' responsibilities, and good laws, equal healthy and safe workplaces!

Contact person:

Brian Kohler
email: [email protected]
Tel. +41 22 304 18 49
Fax: +41 22 304 1841

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Timeline

April 28 - International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers

Text of the Agreement with ArcelorMittal on OHS

Two workers killed and eight injured in Basra oil pipeline fire

4 November 2025 at 01:50

A fire at an oil pipeline in Basra, southern Iraq, has killed two workers and injured eight others following a gas leak at the Burjisiya Zubair 1 pumping station operated by the Basra Oil Company. The incident, which occurred within one of Iraq’s largest oil production areas, was reportedly caused by deteriorated equipment in a complex network of pipelines that require regular maintenance, according to initial union reports.

Mining unions pledge solidarity to confront global capital in a volatile sector

3 November 2025 at 07:25

The mining and diamonds, gems, ornaments, jewellery, and processing (DGOJP) industries, long a cornerstone of global supply chains, are undergoing a deep transformation. Surging demand for battery metals including copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel fuels the green-energy turn, while rare earths underpin everything from wind turbines to electric vehicles.

Unions strengthen collaboration across Dow, DuPont and major chemical producers

23 October 2025 at 16:44

Union representatives from the chemical sector came together to discuss shared challenges across the sector, from workplace safety and training to the growing influence of artificial intelligence on industrial jobs.

Bangladesh ratifies key ILO Conventions on safety and gender equality following long union campaign

23 October 2025 at 11:15

Bangladesh has become the first country in South Asia to ratify ILO Conventions 190, 155 and 187, addressing violence and harassment, occupational safety and health (OSH), and the promotional framework for OSH. The ratifications come after years of sustained campaigning by IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates, supported by global partners, to secure stronger protections for workers and legally binding safety commitments.

Fire in Bangladesh’s garment factory claims 16 lives

20 October 2025 at 15:24

Last week, Bangladesh witnessed two massive fire incidents in garment factories located in Dhaka and Chattogram, bringing the question of industrial safety, particularly building safety standards in readymade garment sector, back into the spotlight.

Indonesia: seven Freeport workers killed at a landslide at Grasberg

14 October 2025 at 12:47

After a month-long rescue mission, the bodies of seven Indonesian and migrant workers were discovered on 5 October at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg mine. The workers had been trapped underground following a landslide on 8 September, when an estimated 800,000 metric tonnes of mud suddenly flowed into the cave.

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking workers strengthen international cooperation

24 September 2025 at 13:52

The shipbuilding and shipbreaking action group met online on 16 September to build on progress made at last year’s world conference in Glasgow.

South East Asian unions unite for worker safety

17 September 2025 at 10:04

On 11 September 2025, eleven members of the occupational health and safety (OHS) ad hoc committee from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines convened in Phnom Penh to develop a roadmap for a comprehensive safety and health campaign for 2025–2026.

Mental health, a common concern for the network of CMPC workers’ unions

16 September 2025 at 09:39

Mental health emerged as a common concern during the recent online meeting of the CMPC workers’ unions network, which brought together union representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, along with Alejandro Valerio, IndustriALL deputy regional secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean and Tom Grinter, IndustriALL pulp and paper sector director.

Pakistan: Three workers killed in gas explosion in coal mine

28 August 2025 at 10:48

A powerful gas explosion killed three mine workers on 26 August 2025 in northwest Balochistan. The blast, caused by methane gas accumulation, blocked the entrance and suffocated the workers trapped inside. The tragedy highlights the ongoing failure to ensure safe working conditions in the region’s coal mines.

Unions push for safer, organized artisanal gold mining in Zimbabwe

26 August 2025 at 10:45

In Zimbabwe, where artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) accounts for over half of the country’s gold production, unions are stepping up to improve health, safety and organization for informal miners. 

Two workers killed in explosion at US Steel plant

13 August 2025 at 15:36

A powerful explosion at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania on 11 August has left two workers dead and ten injured.

Connecting paper workers internationally to fight back

13 August 2025 at 12:56

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in the pulp and paper sector strengthened ties at a recent meeting in Jakarta, emphasising the importance of international connections to resist exploitation by powerful industry players.

Indian unions demand Just Transition in coals and renewables

12 August 2025 at 12:20

With its renewable energy sector expanding rapidly while traditional sources such as coal continue to grow India is currently at a crossroads. Despite the heavy reliance on coal, the country has begun closing mines and shifting to renewables as part of its efforts to achieve the 2070 net-zero target. In this context, it is crucial to understand workers’ concerns and advocate for worker-centered policies to ensure a Just Transition.

Milestone for shipbreaking workers as global Convention comes into force

26 June 2025 at 14:45

Today, 26 June, marks the entry into force of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC), a landmark step for workers in what is often called the world’s most dangerous industry.

Health, safety, and Just Transition top the agenda at MENA oil and gas trade union meeting

27 May 2025 at 15:58

On 27-29 April, the IndustriALL Global Union MENA oil and gas union network met in Istanbul, Türkiye, with the participation of unions from Iraq, Bahrain, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine and Türkiye.

IndustriALL leadership reaffirms solidarity with Pakistani workers

12 May 2025 at 16:16

Workers’ rights are under severe attack in Pakistan as the country debates labour law reforms. Trade unions in the country have been vehemently opposing the proposed anti-worker changes to labour law and have held several joint protests across the country in this regard. During a visit to Pakistan in the first week of May, IndustriALL leadership extended solidarity and support to workers and unions for their relentless struggle to safeguard workers’ rights. 

United struggle key to advancing workers’ rights

8 May 2025 at 17:30

Workers in Bangladesh face mounting challenges, from poverty wages and unsafe conditions to attacks on union rights. During a visit last week, IndustriALL leadership reaffirmed solidarity with workers, urging unions to stand united in the fight for living wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. As labour reforms and international standards are debated, the call for a worker-led push for justice is more urgent than ever.

5 reasons to join a union

8 May 2025 at 17:00

There’s never been a more important time to join a union. According to Oxfam, the richest 1 per cent of the global population now own 45.6 per cent of the world's wealth, while the poorest 50 per cent hold just 0.75 per cent. Trade unions fight for working people so they get a fairer share of profits, that in turn leads to a healthy economy and stable society. So what do they offer? 

Indian unions call for increased fight against precarious work

5 May 2025 at 12:26

Last week, on 28 April, at IndustriALL’s India Council meeting, affiliated unions discussed challenges facing the trade union movement in the country, including the continued rise of precarious employment, the impending implementation of anti-worker labour laws and the exclusion of unions from national-level discussions on the energy transition.

Indonesian unions launch OSH alarm centre

30 April 2025 at 09:26

In conjunction with the International workers’ memorial day (28 April), IndustriALL Indonesia council launched the first occupational safety and health (OSH) alarm centre in Jakarta.

The right to refuse unsafe work is still denied to too many

28 April 2025 at 10:02

The right to refuse unsafe work without fear of retaliation is enshrined in ILO Convention 155. Yet in some of the world’s most hazardous industries, like mining and shipbreaking, this right is still far from reality. This year on 28 April, the World day for safety and health at work, IndustriALL reaffirms that workers’ health and safety cannot be left in the hands of the employers – workers must be able to ensure their safety through joint health and safety committees, and by exercising the right to refuse work they know to be unsafe.

Legally binding Accord delivers safer workplaces

23 April 2025 at 15:10

24 April marks the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history. Over 1,100 workers, most of them women, lost their lives when the building housing several garment factories collapsed in 2013.

ICT and electronics unions debate the way forward in uncertain times

17 April 2025 at 16:10

The sector is going through turbulent times with growing global instability, technological disruption and increasing corporate consolidation. This was discussed by over 30 trade union representatives attending the online steering committee meeting of the ICT, electrical and electronics sector, organized by IndustriALL Global Union.

Nuclear renaissance raises worker and safety issues

27 March 2025 at 13:47

In the context of growing geopolitical instability, energy transformation and social pressure to accelerate decarbonisation, the International nuclear workers’ union network (INWUN), coordinated by IndustriALL Global Union, held its global meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on 25 March.

©2025 – industriALL