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 5 December 2013

    Palestine: EI support for teachers striking over pay dispute

    EI has sent a letter to Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, urging his government to meet the demands of Palestinian teachers and education workers by fully implementing the 10 per cent salary increase agreed between the government and the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT) in September.

    Palestine: EI support for teachers striking over pay dispute
  2. News 3 December 2013

    Turkey: Police confront demonstrators

    EI’s affiliate in Turkey, E?itim Sen, has condemned the police crackdown on teachers and demonstrators gathered in Ankara for a protest march demanding quality education on 23 November, on the eve of the national Teachers’ Day.

    Turkey: Police confront demonstrators
  3. News 19 November 2013

    South Korea: Outrage over union’s de-registration

    The President and General Secretary of Education International, Susan Hopgood and Fred van Leeuwen, have told the members of the Environment and Labour Committee of the National Assembly of Korea that the recent de-registration of the Korea Teachers’ and Education Workers’ Union (KTU), one of EI's affiliates in the country,...

    South Korea: Outrage over union’s de-registration
  4. News 14 November 2013

    UK: Strike threat remains in place after ‘provocative’ Education Secretary letter

    Two unions in the UK, representing nine out of 10 teachers, have reaffirmed their commitment to a jointly coordinated campaign, Protect Teachers and Defend Education. This action by the UK’s two largest teachers’ unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT),...

    UK: Strike threat remains in place after ‘provocative’ Education Secretary letter
  5. News 12 November 2013

    Syria: School bombing injures students

    This week, a mortar bomb struck an elementary school in the neighbourhood of Al-Zahira in southern Damascus, Syria, causing injuries among its students.

    Syria: School bombing injures students
  6. News 30 October 2013

    UK: University staff to go on strike

    The University and College Union (UCU), one of EI’s national affiliates in the UK, has planned a coordinated strike action on 31 October with UNITE and UNISON to demand fair pay in higher education. Unions are disappointed that employers refused talks to try and avert a walkout, but said they...

    UK: University staff to go on strike
  7. News 28 October 2013

    South Korea: educators demand respect for workers’ rights

    On 24 October, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) was officially deprived of its legal status by the South Korean Govenment. The union had been given a one-month ultimatum to revise its by-laws.

    South Korea: educators demand respect for workers’ rights
  8. News 25 October 2013

    Spain: Widespread support for education strike

    Spain’s education unions witnessed a successful general education strike on 24 October – the unions involved were EI’s affiliates, CCOO, FETE-UGT and STEs.

    Spain: Widespread support for education strike
  9. News 24 October 2013

    Korea: KTU deprived of legal status

    On 24 October, one of EI’s affiliates, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), was officially deprived of legal status by the Park Geun-hye administration. KTU had been given a one-month ultimatum to revise the provision in its by-laws allowing union membership to dismissed and retired teachers. In a...

    Korea: KTU deprived of legal status
  10. News 4 October 2013

    KOREA: Teacher Union threatened with delegalisation

    Because it allows dismissed and retired workers in its membership, the Korea Teacher Union (KTU), one of EI's members in Korea, is threatened with delegalisation. In a communication issued by the Minister of Employment and Labor, KTU was informed it has until 23 October 2013 to amend its by-laws. If...

    KOREA: Teacher Union threatened with delegalisation
  11. 3 October 2013

    “Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers”

    In war, dedicated teachers are on the front lines of the battle for hope and equality. Facing harrowing conditions, teachers are often unsupported in responding to the pleas of children and parents for access to meaningful education. The international community must also support these teachers and their students' right to...

    “Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers”
  12. News 30 September 2013

    UK: Regional strike action over pay and conditions

    The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), two of EI’s national affiliates, have announced dates for regional rolling strike action in England as a further step in the dispute over pay, pensions, working conditions and jobs.

    UK: Regional strike action over pay and conditions
  13. News 27 September 2013

    Amnesty International honours young activist for girls and women’s right to education

    Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot by the Taliban last year for campaigning for girls' education, has been honoured by Amnesty International in Dublin, Ireland. The 16-year-old has shared the Ambassador of Conscience Award with US singer Harry Belafonte for his work on human rights and social justice. Recipients are...

    Amnesty International honours young activist for girls and women’s right to education
  14. News 26 September 2013

    Call for education and other human rights to be at heart of development goals

    EI has joined 15 leading civil society organisations in a call for the human right to education to be recognised and placed at the heart of the post-2015 development framework by member states of the United Nations.

    Call for education and other human rights to be at heart of development goals
  15. News 26 September 2013

    Call for education and other human rights to be at heart of development goals

    EI has joined 15 leading civil society organisations in a call for the human right to education to be recognised and placed at the heart of the post-2015 development framework by member states of the United Nations.

    Call for education and other human rights to be at heart of development goals
  16. News 25 September 2013

    Closing Conference on Healthy and Safe Workplaces in the Crisis

    The closing conference of the ETUCE Project “Teacher Trade Unions in Solidarity for Healthy and Safe Workplaces in the Economic Crisis” will be held in Madrid on October 10-11. Representatives from national teacher unions, researchers, representatives of the education employers and students’ unions will gather to discuss how to promote...

    Closing Conference on Healthy and Safe Workplaces in the Crisis
  17. News 18 September 2013

    Egypt: Detained Canadian academics on hunger strike

    Two Canadian academics detained in Egypt have embarked on a hunger strike on Monday 16 September to protest the extension of their detention. Dr. Tarek Loubani and John Greyson will drink only fruit juice.

    Egypt: Detained Canadian academics on hunger strike