Union building

Building strong, democratic independent trade unions is the basis for bargaining power and legitimate representation of working people. IndustriALL is building strong unions which are in a permanent democratic relationship with workers capable of making difference both at national, regional and international level.

Contact person: 

Atle Høie
email: [email protected]
tel. +41 22 308 5050

Support a YES to UAW at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama

7 May 2024 at 15:15

On 13-17 May, workers at the Mercedes plant in Alabama, US - the only Mercedes plant in the world without union representation - will for the first time vote for a union, to join the UAW. What our Mercedes colleagues in Alabama need now is our solidarity to know that they are not alone.

Workers at VW Chattanooga ready to vote in union election

3 April 2024 at 15:40

After filing a petition with the National Labor Relations Board last week for a vote to join IndustriALL affiliate the United Auto Workers union (UAW), more than 4,000 workers at the Volkswagen Chattanooga plant will vote in their union election on 17-19 April. 

Moroccan mining union established to fight for workers

22 March 2024 at 10:37

Under the slogan "Strengthening trade union action in the mining sector to defend the mining working class and win an agreement that guarantees the rights and benefits of the miners", the UMT National Union of Mineworkers in Morocco held its founding congress on 1 March.

Cost-of-living crisis hurdle for organizing in Ethiopia

15 February 2024 at 10:32

IndustriALL Global Union affiliated unions organizing in Ethiopia's automotive, chemical, electronics, energy, mining, pulp and paper, petroleum, and textile and garment sectors met in Addis Ababa on 13 February to discuss how to strengthen their recruitment and organizing strategies to boost membership amidst a dire cost-of-living crisis. 

Organizing workers in Bangladesh remains a challenge

19 September 2023 at 15:20

The progress reported by the government of Bangladesh on the implementation of the ILO roadmap, particularly regarding addressing acts of anti-union discrimination and violence against workers, is far from the reality experienced by trade unionists who daily encounter different challenges while organizing workers in garment factories in the country.

Building organizing power in South East Asia

19 September 2023 at 05:09

20 organizers met in Bangkok, Thailand to complete their three-year Organizers’ Development Programme (ODP), a joint training developed by IndustriALL and IG Metall focusing on strategic organizing, methods and campaigns. The aim is to provide organizers with skills and knowledge to develop organizing strategies, strategic planning and campaigning.

IndustriALL and TKE unions collaborate to empower workers

31 July 2023 at 10:17

Working conditions, wages, social dialogue, workers’ and union rights, and the development of a global union council were items discussed at the IndustriALL Global Union, and TK Elevator (TKE) unions hybrid meeting. The Madrid meeting held on 11-12 July, served as a platform for robust discussions on national situations in TKE plants and around the objectives of the global union council (GUC) to enhance workers’ rights and strengthen social dialogue.

Indian unions call for better working conditions amidst country’s rise as a major chemical and tyre manufacturing hub

19 July 2023 at 13:25

Organising precarious workers, strengthening networks, demanding equal pay for equal work, and workplace health and safety emerged as top priorities for Indian affiliates participating in the chemical, pharmaceutical and tyre sectors meeting, held during 11–13 July.

Fight for decent wages continues

2 June 2023 at 17:05

Workers everywhere need a pay rise that reflects the inflation rate and the sacrifices made during the Covid pandemic, which many are still recovering from. They need wages that reflect their essential part in value creation. Trade unions play a key role in ensuring that workers receive decent wages. 

Battery manufacturing pact stimulant for decent jobs in Africa

26 January 2023 at 17:04

IndustriALL Global Union affiliated unions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia welcome the memorandum of understanding between their governments and the United States of America (US) on the creation of an electric vehicle value chain in the two countries. 

Successful union building in Morocco

18 March 2022 at 11:14

Long-term work in building union power in Morocco has resulted in two new national unions in the textile-garment and metal industries, the FNTSIME-UMT and the FNTTCCL-UMT.

Nigerian government abandons petrol price hike as unions mobilize

1 February 2022 at 07:16

Just as it appeared that the federal government of Nigeria and the unions, with their civil society allies, were heading for a collision course on the announced fuel price increase, the government backtracked on the eve of national protests.

Farmindustria union in Peru signs first collective bargaining agreement

13 October 2021 at 15:25

After a 30-day strike, workers at Farmaindustria-Abbott International in Peru signed their first collective bargaining agreement on 4 October, achieving economic and social benefits as well as major improvements in working conditions for all.

35-day strike ends in agreement at Albemarle, Chile

30 September 2021 at 07:48

The strike at the Salar de Atacama facility in Chile's Antofagasta region has ended after the union reached an agreement with Albemarle Corp, the world's leading lithium producer.

Three Zimbabwean textile, garment, shoe, and leather unions merge

16 September 2021 at 12:13

After years of negotiating for a merger, three IndustriALL Global Union affiliates organizing in the textile, garment, shoe, and leather sectors held their inaugural congress in Harare on 12 September to form the Clothing, Leather and Textile Workers’ Federation (CLTWF).

Independent union next for workers at General Motors' Silao plant

2 September 2021 at 15:17

Workers at General Motors plant in Silao, Mexico, have formed a new union – the national union of automotive workers, SINTTIA. The union will seek to represent GM workers and negotiate a new collective employment agreement.

Unions in Vietnam build capacity on labour relations

17 May 2021 at 14:50

Vietnam ratified ILO Convention 98 on the right to organize and collective bargaining in July 2019. Last month, Vietnamese unionists met to discuss industrial relations and collective bargaining as part of IndustriALL’s South East Asia union building project supported by Swedish Union to Union.

Building sustainable unions in Malawi

31 March 2021 at 15:12

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates organizing over 25,000 workers in the textile, garment, leather and shoe, cement manufacturing, mining, chemicals, energy, and other industrial sectors met in Lilongwe 22-25 March to discuss sustainability, building union power, and strengthening the capacity development of organizers and shop stewards through training and online learning.

We want decent jobs in Sub Saharan Africa

3 March 2021 at 11:42

Report confirms unions in Sub Saharan Africa want sustainable investments in the auto industry that create decent jobs, reduce unemployment and inequality, and contribute towards ending poverty.

Gender audits in Zambia and Zimbabwe to protect women’s rights at work

28 January 2021 at 12:44

A number of IndustriALL affiliates in Zambia and Zimbabwe are implementing recommendations from gender audits that took place in November and December 2020. The gender audits are a response to reports of increased violence against women during the Covid-19 lockdowns in most countries in Sub Saharan Africa.

Union launches app for organizing Kenyan metalworkers

28 October 2020 at 13:17

The Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metalworkers (AUKMW) has launched an app that will be used to recruit and organize new members to the union.

Young workers organizing drives in Ghana show strength of solidarity

8 October 2020 at 11:50

Building union strength in the post-Covid-19 workplace is a top priority for trade unions in Ghana. As lockdown regulations become less strict on meetings, unions are going to factories and workplaces to recruit and organize more workers.

South Asia unions build strength by mapping supply chains

19 February 2020 at 14:25

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates from India, Pakistan and Nepal met in Kathmandu on 18-19 February 2020 to evaluate the progress made by the South Asia union building and multinational supply chain project and plan activity for the following years.

Organizing white-collar workers

15 November 2019 at 11:09

Building union power through organizing is a key priority for IndustriALL Global Union. Organizing helps to achieve our key goals, including a living wage, limits on precarious work, respect for human and trade union rights, healthier and safer workplaces, and more equitable societies.

How IndustriALL project work helps unions in Indonesia

11 November 2019 at 14:13

November 2019 saw two more good examples of how IndustriALL project work supports affiliates in Indonesia.

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