30 August, 2011IMF affiliates from countries in Asia-Pacific and the Americas met in Geneva on August 29 to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. A joint trade union strategy was defined to make the creation of quality jobs and the promotion of fundamental labour standards an explicit goal of the agreement.
30 August, 2011On Monday, August 29 autoworkers in Sao Jose de Pinhais, Brazil voted in favour of the new agreement negotiated by the Greater Curitiba Metalworkers Union, member of the IMF affiliate Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores Metalúrgicos/Força Sindical.
30 August, 2011On August 29 the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) rallied in front of the office of the employment agency Adecco in Kaluga, Russia. The action marked the beginning of the union campaign against precarious work.
12 September, 2011The IMF's Communicators' Forum in Latin America was held in Brazil on 8-9 September. Delegates made progress in arranging the exchange of information between affiliates.
8 September, 2011From August 29 the management of Maruti-Suzuki India at Manesar asks workers to sign a "good conduct" pledge before allowing them to enter the plant, in effect locking out workers who refuse to give up their labour rights. Since then the management terminated 23 workers and suspended 34 on charges of misconduct and instigating workers to stop production.
6 September, 2011Australian union members of three trade union organisations are livid with the announcement that BlueScope Steel will lop 1,400 jobs in New South Wales and Victoria. Members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and the Electrical Trades Union of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (ETU-CEPU) met in Wollongong on 25 August and sternly moved to resist all restructuring until further labour-management consultations can occur.
6 September, 2011With the prospect of several millions more job losses in a new worldwide economic downturn, the Global Unions urge the financial institutions and G20 group of countries to put a halt to their 'destructive and ultimately self-defeating economic policies that will lead to a new surge of global unemployment'.
31 August, 2011The Italian metalworkers' unions, FIOM, FIM and UILM mobilize against the government's plans for cuts and retrenchments, that disproportionally hit workers and pensioners, while protecting the wealthy, overpaid politicians and high-ranking state officials. Sit-ins, rallies and a 8 hour general strike are planned for September 1-6.
15 August, 2011After a strong and resolute campaign nearly 70 BMW warehouse workers in Southern California, USA got their contracts renewed for another half year. The workers, members of Teamsters Local 495 got their jobs back through an active campaign involving International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and IMF affiliates Unite the Union in the UK and IG Metall in Germany. An important role was played by the BMW European Works Council.
31 May, 2010The IMF makes submission to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Business and Human Rights, John Ruggie, to tell him how employers are using various forms of precarious employment expressly to prevent workers from joining a trade union and bargaining collectively.
