Trade Unions

Musician Sahira Saad performs for the Women's Action Network in 2005Trade unionists are at the forefront of the struggle for human rights. Many have lost their lives or risked their liberty in their attempts to claim basic human rights. These include freedom of association, the right to organise and engage in collective bargaining and freedom of speech.

Trade unionists are ordinary men and women. They have deeply held convictions, political beliefs and commitment to trade union ideals. These can make them prime targets of government repression. They have to deal with their organisations being banned, harassment, political killings and 'disappearances', arbitrary detention, torture, exile and murder.

An outrageous injustice - teacher still behind bars two years after calling for a strike

Mahdi Abu DeebIn early 2011 Mahdi Abu Dheeb, then leader of the Bahrain Teachers Association, and his colleague Jalila al-Salman called a strike to support growing calls for reform in the country. Most of us would say that they were just doing their job. But the Bahrain authorities have since made them pay dearly for their legitimate work. 
 
By April 2011, both of them were detained. Jalila has since been released but Mahdi remains behind bars - where he has been for over two years. Please join workers around the world and:



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Trade unions have made a great contribution to the defence of human rights through Amnesty's Trade Union Network. We invite you to help us have an even bigger impact by affiliating your union.



Warning on Fiji government plan to severely restrict workers' rights

Amnesty International has called on the government of Fiji to repeal a decree that would drastically restrict workers' rights and to immediately cease the harassment of union leaders. Government measures published on 29 July would, if enacted, violate international labour law and Fiji's human rights obligations.