Ei-iE

Peter Marshall / Demotix Images
Peter Marshall / Demotix Images

Trade union rights are human rights

Trade unionists are far too often subject to attacks by repressive governments. Every year, many are subjected to violence, arrest and imprisonment, torture and even murder. Trade union leaders in education are targeted by non-democratic governments who seek total control of education, and deny teachers and education support personnel their rights.

Even in democratic countries, many education workers are denied the right to join unions and/or engage in collective bargaining. Where bargaining exists, limits on its scope can be imposed. Moreover, teachers and education support personnel are denied the right to strike.

Education International also supports the right of students to organise and join the fight for more inclusive and democratic communities.

Working closely with our member organisations, other global unions and human rights networks, we use supervisory mechanisms at the national, regional and global levels to ensure rights and standards are respected and social dialogue is effective.

Solidarity actions among our global membership are a powerful tool to advance rights everywhere.

Our work in this area

  1. News 8 April 2014

    Social workers more likely to work while sick

    Social workers are more likely to come to work while sick than the average worker in EU28, a recent Eurofound report shows. The report compares working conditions for social workers in kindergartens, schools, youth services, and social care with the EU28 as a whole.

    Social workers more likely to work while sick
  2. News 27 March 2014

    Iceland: No end in sight to ongoing strike

    Icelandic high-school and technical school teachers have now been on strike for nine days. Negotiations are faltering, due to a government offer on 25 March that was lower than what was offered the week prior to the strike. A new high school law will be implemented in 2015, but Iceland’s...

    Iceland: No end in sight to ongoing strike
  3. News 25 March 2014

    Social dialogue in public services to be discussed at the ILO

    An EI delegation will discuss how to strengthen collective bargaining rights for public employees in a forum convened by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). From 2-3 April, representatives of workers, governments, and employers will make recommendations for future action to the ILO and its constituents.

    Social dialogue in public services to be discussed at the ILO
  4. News 25 March 2014

    Campaign on managing stress and psychosocial risks at work

    An EU-wide campaign on ‘Managing stress and psychosocial risks at work’ is going to be launched on 7 April 2014 by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

    Campaign on managing stress and psychosocial risks at work
  5. News 25 March 2014

    EI mission to Ukraine

    On 4-5 March during a visit of EI/ETUCE representative Kounka Damianova to Kiev, the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (STESU) made an urgent request that Education International send an international delegation to Kiev.

    EI mission to Ukraine
  6. News 18 March 2014

    Iceland: Strike over better conditions for teachers

    Following on the failure of negotiations on a new collective agreement for secondary school teachers, EI’s national affiliate, the Kennarasamband Islands (KI), called on its members, upper secondary teachers employed by the state, to go on strike on 17 March.

    Iceland: Strike over better conditions for teachers
  7. News 15 March 2014

    Ukraine: A hotline for students and teachers in the Crimea

    The Ukrainian education ministry has established a hotline for teachers and students in the Crimea who may find themselves Russian citizens after the referendum on 16 March. “We get a lot of calls from young people who are very worried about their future”, a deputy education minister told an Education...

    Ukraine: A hotline for students and teachers in the Crimea
  8. News 14 March 2014

    Ukraine: Global unions in solidarity with affected workers

    A delegation from EI visited Kiev from 13-14 March in a show of support for the national teacher unions of Ukraine and the country’s democratic movement. Led by EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen, the delegation was composed of teacher union leaders from Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, and the United...

    Ukraine: Global unions in solidarity with affected workers
  9. News 3 March 2014

    Greece: education unionists face down police violence

    On 28 February, the Greek Federation of Secondary State School Teachers (OLME), one of EI’s national affiliates, organised a demonstration in Athens against the proposed dismissal of 12,500 education workers by 22 March. This demonstration took place at the same time as the Troika’s representatives were discussing permanent teachers and...

    Greece: education unionists face down police violence
  10. News 3 March 2014

    Turkey: education union strikes over planned education law

    On 26 February, EI’s national affiliate, E?itim Sen, organised a national strike action to protest against the new draft of the ‘Amendments to the National Education System Law’ discussed at the Turkish Parliament during the previous few days. Thousands of education and science workers from all provinces of Turkey, as...

    Turkey: education union strikes over planned education law
  11. News 3 March 2014

    UK: education unions engaged in fight against child poverty

    The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the two largest EI’s national affiliates, have criticised the UK coalition Governments’ consultation on child poverty.

    UK: education unions engaged in fight against child poverty
  12. News 3 March 2014

    Kenya: Education unions issue two-week strike notice

    Public university lecturers and non-teaching staff have threatened to go on strike in two weeks’ time in Kenya. Led by union officials from the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU), an EI national affiliate, as well as members of the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), they have urged the Government to...

    Kenya: Education unions issue two-week strike notice
  13. News 28 February 2014

    Ukraine: EI’s European Region calls for action to restore unions

    Last Sunday, Kiev's Independence Square turned into a giant memorial complex, as people gathered in thousands to honour the dozens of people who were killed in clashes between demonstrators and the police forces. EI and the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), has expressed its solidarity for its Ukrainian...

    Ukraine: EI’s European Region calls for action to restore unions
  14. News 27 February 2014

    Nigeria: Boys targeted and killed in terrorist attack on state school

    EI condemns the reported killing of between 29 and 59 school boys at their boarding school in Northern Nigeria in the early hours of 25 February. It is claimed that the boys were shot or burnt to death by the terrorist group commonly known as Boko Haram (which roughly translates...

    Nigeria: Boys targeted and killed in terrorist attack on state school
  15. News 19 February 2014

    Algeria: Fourth week of strikes in education sector

    A widespread strike in the education sector in Algeria has entered its fourth week, despite an intervention by the Prime Minister to bring it to an end. The strike, which started on 25 January, has involved members of the National Union of Education and Training Staff (UNPEF) and the National...

    Algeria: Fourth week of strikes in education sector