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 16 September 2013

    Participation of young people in education and the labour market

    Eurostat published an article on participation of young people in education and the labour market on 12 July 2013. The article explains how youth unemployment in the EU is measured and how youth unemployment rates are affected by the transition of young adults from education to the labour market.

    Participation of young people in education and the labour market
  2. News 16 September 2013

    EU investment for education and youth employability pays off, OECD report confirms

    On 25 June 2013 the OECD report Education at a Glance 2013 was launched. This is an annual report analysing the education systems of the 34 OECD member countries, including 21 EU member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania are not part of the OECD and therefore...

    EU investment for education and youth employability pays off, OECD report confirms
  3. News 16 September 2013

    ETUCE Workshop in Athens on ICT and Early school leaving

    On Friday, 20th September 2013, ETUCE organizes a workshop on how to prevent early school leaving through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

    ETUCE Workshop in Athens on ICT and Early school leaving
  4. News 16 September 2013

    CEE Round Table 2013 in Baku, Azerbaijan

    The 2013 edition of the Central and East European Roundtable will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 26-28 September 2013.

    CEE Round Table 2013 in Baku, Azerbaijan
  5. News 13 September 2013

    Mexican teachers protest against reforms

    Mexican teachers have protested en masse after the government pushed through “supplementary” or “secondary” laws aimed at changing the Education Act, in particular aspects related to teachers’ careers.

    Mexican teachers protest against reforms
  6. News 12 September 2013

    Spain: Complaint against reforms sent to European Commission

    One of EI’s affiliates in Spain, the Federación de Enseñanza de CCOO (FECCOO), has complained to the European Commission about the text of the forthcoming Organic Law for the Improvement of Education Quality (LOMCE).

    Spain: Complaint against reforms sent to European Commission
  7. News 11 September 2013

    US: Human rights comes centre stage for students

    One of EI’s affiliate in the US, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has developed a useful toolkit designed to help the teaching of human rights in the classroom.

    US: Human rights comes centre stage for students
  8. News 5 September 2013

    UK: Strikes planned in ongoing campaign to protect teachers

    Plans are in place for a national teachers’ strike in England before Christmas in a row over adverse changes to teachers’ pay, pensions, working conditions and jobs. This is the next phase of a campaign to protect teachers and defend education, jointly coordinated by the two biggest UK teachers' unions...

    UK: Strikes planned in ongoing campaign to protect teachers
  9. News 4 September 2013

    Protest against detention of Canadian academics in Egypt

    EI is urging its member organisations to press the Egyptian authorities to immediately release two Canadian professors who have been detained without charges by the Egyptian police since 17 August.

    Protest against detention of Canadian academics in Egypt
  10. News 27 August 2013

    Germany: Berlin’s teacher unionists on strike

    Berlin’s educators have gone on strike over better working conditions and an improved salary scale, according to the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW), one of EI’s national affiliates.

    Germany: Berlin’s teacher unionists on strike
  11. News 27 August 2013

    EI marks anniversary of March to Washington

    28 August marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was during this March that American activist Martin Luther King delivered his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, calling for an end to racism in the US.

    EI marks anniversary of March to Washington
  12. News 22 August 2013

    South Africa: unions bring Department of Basic Education to court

    EI’s national affiliates, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), the South Africa National Professional Teachers’ Organisation (NAPTOSA), and the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie(SAOU), joined by the Professional Educators Union and the National Teachers’ Union, have taken the fight to reinstate a collective agreement to court. The agreement, signed between teacher unions...

    South Africa: unions bring Department of Basic Education to court
  13. News 22 August 2013

    Teacher unions in the Pacific learn more about their rights

    EI organised a workshop enabling representatives of 16 member organisations in the Pacific to campaign for the promotion of trade union rights in the region. The workshop was hosted in Fiji on 19-22 August with the support of the Workers Group of the International Labour Organisation (ILO-ACTRAV).

    Teacher unions in the Pacific learn more about their rights
  14. News 19 August 2013

    Fiji: Exposing the clampdown on union rights

    An EI delegation is attending regional meetings on labour standards in Fiji. EI representatives are holding talks with teachers' representatives from the Fijian Teachers' Association and the Fiji Teacher Union who deplored the clampdown on union rights since the 2006 coup.

    Fiji: Exposing the clampdown on union rights
  15. News 12 August 2013

    UK: Education Secretary must listen to teachers, not attack them

    Two of EI’s affiliates, the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have criticised a survey released by the UK polling organisation, Populus.

    UK: Education Secretary must listen to teachers, not attack them
  16. News 6 August 2013

    Kenya: Government withholds salaries after teachers’ strike ends

    The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), one of EI’s affiliates in the country, has informed EI that the teachers’ national strike which started on 25 June was called off on 17 July. The education union urged teachers to report back to their schools the next day. Unfortunately, however, the...

    Kenya: Government withholds salaries after teachers’ strike ends
  17. News 5 August 2013

    Iranian teacher Abdolreza Ghanbari saved from execution

    EI is relieved to learn that the death sentence imposed on Iranian teacher Abdolreza Ghanbari has been reduced to 15 years’ detention and exile by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

    Iranian teacher Abdolreza Ghanbari saved from execution