News

Colombia has signed a peace agreement, so why are trade unionists still being threatened and murdered?

The threats linked to trade union work in Colombia are so constant that trade unionists have grown accustomed to them. Today, the country’s trade unions are struggling to survive the violence of the present whilst appealing to the transitional [...]Read the full article

Can the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap create a blueprint for just transition and social dialogue in New Zealand?

22 October 2021

Can the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap create a blueprint for just transition and social dialogue in New Zealand?

“Unions have had the climate at their hearts for a long time. When members’ livelihoods are at risk, unions stand up – and members’ livelihoods are at risk with climate change.”Read the full article

In the DRC, the production of reusable sanitary pads is improving hygiene and empowering women

18 October 2021

Development

In the DRC, the production of reusable sanitary pads is improving hygiene and empowering women

In the DRC, access to sanitary towels remains a headache for women. According to a U-Report survey, 31 per cent of respondents considered lack of money to be the main difficulty they faced during their [...]Read the full article

In the midst of the Covid crisis, Kenyan unions are attempting to tackle the climate emergency head on

13 October 2021

In the midst of the Covid crisis, Kenyan unions are attempting to tackle the climate emergency head on

“In creating green champions, our aim is to come up with environmental experts at the trade union level and to build the capacity for participation and in advocating for a just transition in [...]Read the full article

A dangerous new law in Egypt allows for the dismissal of any public employee who opposes the regime

11 October 2021

A dangerous new law in Egypt allows for the dismissal of any public employee who opposes the regime

“The dismissal of employees belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood is just the tip of the iceberg. This law targets any public employee who opposes the regime, regardless of their affiliation.”Read the full article

Nicaragua goes to the polls with opponents in jail and the government accused of crimes against humanity

8 October 2021

Politics & economy

Nicaragua goes to the polls with opponents in jail and the government accused of crimes against humanity

On 7 November, Nicaraguans will elect a president. They will do so amid a wave of repression, with a presidential couple seeking re-election and controlling all the powers of the state. Daniel Ortega has already accumulated 25 years in power, [...]Read the full article

Can virtual addresses provide a gateway to rights for homeless people in Italy?

6 October 2021

Development

Can virtual addresses provide a gateway to rights for homeless people in Italy?

Last year, the Italian NGO Avvocato di Strada helped around 4,000 homeless people access vital legal services, the most crucial of which was help to register for a virtual address.Read the full article

Tunisia holds off a ‘deep' free trade agreement with the EU

4 October 2021

Politics & economy

Tunisia holds off a ‘deep’ free trade agreement with the EU

Although the EU maintains that the agreement will boost development in Tunisia, part of Tunisian civil society fears it will destroy the fabric of the sectors to be opened up.Read the full article

Over 90,000 people have left Hong Kong in the past year; those who remain face an uncertain future

29 September 2021

Over 90,000 people have left Hong Kong in the past year; those who remain face an uncertain future

“The trade union sector is now living in unprecedented fear. When the national security law arrived, political groups were the primary target. In July and August, it became clear that trade unions are also a main [...]Read the full article

With widespread kidnappings and violence, daily life is becoming increasingly dangerous in Haiti

24 September 2021

With widespread kidnappings and violence, daily life is becoming increasingly dangerous in Haiti

With gangs taking control, many Haitian neighbourhoods have become impossible to live in. The violence and assassinations have not spared political circles either and the situation became even more acute in the aftermath of the 14 August [...]Read the full article

For India's stigmatised and exploited sanitation workers, the pandemic has only made conditions worse

20 September 2021

For India’s stigmatised and exploited sanitation workers, the pandemic has only made conditions worse

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the discrepancy between the pivotal social, economic and public health role of India’s sanitation workers and the fact that they “remain at the bottom of [...]Read the full article

Deep-sea mining: civil society highlights threat posed to biodiversity

17 September 2021

Deep-sea mining: civil society highlights threat posed to biodiversity

In response to growing demand for the precious metals needed to fuel energy transition, companies are developing technology for exploring and mining the ocean floor and applying for licenses to do so. But international legislation protecting [...]Read the full article

Civil society raises the alarm over Mandalika, Indonesia's US billion tourism project

13 September 2021

Development

Civil society raises the alarm over Mandalika, Indonesia’s US$3 billion tourism project

The Mandalika project may be the precursor to broader human rights and labour concerns around Chinese investment in South-East Asia.Read the full article

10 September 2021

Zimbabwe launches National Labour Migration Policy to help protect migrant workers

In order to better support migrant workers – both those from Zimbabwe living and working abroad and those from other countries living and working in Zimbabwe – the government of Zimbabwe launched its inaugural National Labour Migration Policy [...]Read the full article

In California, a women-led coalition is fighting for the passage a new anti-sweatshop law

8 September 2021

In California, a women-led coalition is fighting for the passage a new anti-sweatshop law

In Los Angeles, the capital of the US garment industry, seamstresses, senators and garment factory owners are teaming up in support of a bill that would put an end to the exploitative practices that plague the fashion [...]Read the full article

In Iraq's marshlands, researchers are racing to document a disappearing dialect

6 September 2021

Culture

In Iraq’s marshlands, researchers are racing to document a disappearing dialect

UNESCO estimates that half of all languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century if nothing is done, as speakers face pressures to abandon their native tongue in favour of dominant languages and [...]Read the full article

In Italy, the institutionalised exploitation of migrant care workers has been exacerbated by the pandemic

3 September 2021

In Italy, the institutionalised exploitation of migrant care workers has been exacerbated by the pandemic

The pandemic has highlighted the crucial social role played by migrant domestic workers in Italy, yet the state continues to discriminate against them and to deprive them of adequate protection. The plight of those working without papers – the [...]Read the full article

Turkey takes a step backwards on violence against women

1 September 2021

Turkey takes a step backwards on violence against women

“For decades women have struggled and have ultimately been able to gain rights such as voting, the right to stand for elections [passive suffrage], education, property and work. But women are now once again being forced back into the private [...]Read the full article

30 August 2021

As the UK prepares to host COP26, some of the world’s most industrialised countries are cracking down on environmental protests

As temperatures reach all-time highs, so to does the number of deadly attacks on environmentalists in the Global South. Meanwhile, in the Global North, climate activists are also facing a growing threat to freedom of assembly and the right to [...]Read the full article

YouTubers of the world, unite! – what happens when a grassroots, international creators' movement and a traditional trade union join forces?

23 August 2021

YouTubers of the world, unite! – what happens when a grassroots, international creators’ movement and a traditional trade union join forces?

Thanks to the efforts of the YouTubers Union and IG Metall, content creators on the platform now have greater transparency, arbitration power, clearer rules, better communication and greater [...]Read the full article

18 August 2021

One year after the protests, workers in Belarus are still pushing for democracy and labour rights

Protests, walk-outs and work stoppages from workers at some of Belarus’s biggest heavy industries played a key role in Belarus’s historic pro-democracy movement last August.Read the full article

12 August 2021

In Africa, young people are the voice of environmental protection

From North Africa to the south of the continent, young people are taking ownership of the fight for environmental protection. Some are investing in recycling, others are raising awareness in local communities about the dangers of global warming, [...]Read the full article

Taiwan's foreign factory workers face rights violations amid latest Covid outbreak

30 July 2021