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The General Secretary of EI, Fred van Leeuwen, sent a letter of protest to the President of Benin, denouncing “the way in which the government of Benin has been disregarding trade unions and their members rights for some months now.” He also sent a letter of support directly from EI...

Despite huge international mobilization against his proposed execution, the life of Abdolreza Ghanbari is still at risk. The Iranian authorities could proceed with his execution at any time.

The continuing conflict in Syria is taking a heavy toll on education, as thousands of Syrian families take their children out of school and flee across the border to seek refuge.

Following Mahdi Abu Dheeb’s appeal hearing on 2 April, EI has learned that a decision about the release of the Bahraini Teachers’ Association (BTA) President has been postponed to 2 May.

Spanish unions have joined forces to support the country's largest ever general strike on 29 March. EI members, FETE-UGT, F.E.CC.OO. and FE-STES, are united in declaring that teachers will not stand by as the Government jeopardises basic workers’ rights and social dialogue through its latest labour reform legislation.

After two previous postponements, the Bahraini Supreme Court of Appeal has scheduled a new hearing of the case of Bahraini Teachers’ Association leaders Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila Al Salman on 2 April. Both were arrested in April 2011 after a crackdown by authorities following pro-democracy demonstrations.

Farah Abdillah Miguil, General Secretary of EI Djibouti affiliate SYNESED (Union of Secondary Teachers), was his union’s delegate to EI’s 6th World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in July 2011. In this interview, he shares his thoughts as a union leader and champion of human and trade union rights...

Education International (EI) urgently calls on teachers and human rights activists worldwide to request the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to stay the execution of Prof. Abdolreza Ghanbari, a university lecturer, sentenced to death for “enmity towards God”.

On 5 March, Iran’s Supreme Court repealed the death sentence for former U.S. Marine, Amir Mirza Hekmati.

Kamal Abbas, a leading figure in the fight to create independent democratic trade unions in Egypt, has been sentenced to six months in prison for the "crime" of insulting a Mubarak-era union officer at the 2011 International Labour Organisation conference.

On 9 March, 2011, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker pushed through a bill stripping unions of their rights. One year onwards, after massive citizen protests, enough signatures have been gathered to force an election to recall Walker.

European trade unions are backing Spanish trade union confederations in their campaign against the reform of the labour code in Spain. EI European region, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) has issued, together with the European Federation of Public Service Unions and the European Transport Federation, a Solidarity...

The Bahraini Supreme Court of Appeal has once more turned down Bahrain Teacher Association’s president Mahdi Abu Dheeb’s request for temporary release because of health reasons.

EI and ETUCE strongly condemn the police raid against union members of the Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions (KESK) on 13 February in Ankara. Fifteen women union leaders were dragged from their bed and taken into custody. The union offices and personal computers were also searched.

One of EI’s national affiliates, the Fédération Camerounaise des Syndicats de l'Education(FECASE), has joined other education unions supported by the Public Sector Union Confederation (CSP) calling for a strike in the basic and secondary education sectors on 14-17 February. Trade Unionists condemn the government’s attitude, saying it is not adhering...

Mahdi Abu Dheeb, the imprisoned president of Bahrain's Teachers’ Association, has begun a hunger strike to protest about his unfair detention and continued ill-treatment in prison.

A 23-year-old Chilean student leader has been named as ‘Person of the Year 2011’ by a British newspaper. Camila Vallejo received the accolade from The Guardian, ahead of leading personalities, including German chancellor Angela Merkel. Vallejo, ex-President of the University of Chile’s Student Federation (FECH), secured 78 per cent of...

EI and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have condemned the latest developments in the negotiation between the national government and the Troika (European Commission, European Central Bank [ECB], and International Monetary Fund [IMF]) that would smash minimum wages, collective agreements and rights in Greece.