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 4 August 2009

    Teachers killed in violent repression in Honduras

    Escalating violence in Honduras against those protesting the military coup of 28 June has left two teachers dead: Roger Abraham Vallejo and Martín Florencio Rivera.

    Teachers killed in violent repression in Honduras
  2. News 20 July 2009

    USA: Education reform must be good for kids and fair to teachers

    Teachers and their unions should "be the engines of real change in education," Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, told thousands of educators meeting in Washington, D.C. from 13-15 July.

    USA: Education reform must be good for kids and fair to teachers
  3. News 7 July 2009

    EI launches Urgent Action Appeal for Turkey

    In recent weeks, EI member organisation Egitim-Sen and the Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions (KESK) – to which EI’s member is affiliated – have suffered a series of attacks by the Turkish authorities, including the occupation and searches of the trade union premises by the security forces, arrest and preventive...

    EI launches Urgent Action Appeal for Turkey
  4. News 1 July 2009

    Uganda: EFAIDS Boosts Training of Teachers on HIV and AIDS

    The Uganda National Teachers’ Union with their EFAIDS partner the National Union of Educational Institutions held a highly successful four day ‘training of trainers’ workshop in Kampala in early June. The Master Trainers are now well equipped to carry out local level training on HIV and AIDS education for their...

    Uganda: EFAIDS Boosts Training of Teachers on HIV and AIDS
  5. News 1 July 2009

    Zambian union promotes leadership in the HIV Response

    The Zambia National Union of Teachers held a 3-day Trainer of Trainers Workshop in Livingstone in early June. Organised to introduce participants to the updated EFAIDS resource, ‘Leadership in the HIV Response’ the workshop brought together regional EFAIDS Coordinators from each of the nine regions of the country.

    Zambian union promotes leadership in the HIV Response
  6. News 1 July 2009

    Over one hundred trained in EFAIDS Workshops in St Vincent & the Grenadines

    Training for both teachers and the wider community has been the focus of the EFAIDS Programme of the St Vincent and Grenadines Teacher Union in recent months. Master trainers Oswald Robinson, Gloria Endeavour and Rudolph Roberts coordinated the training sessions and reached over one hundred people.

    Over one hundred trained in EFAIDS Workshops in St Vincent & the Grenadines
  7. News 1 July 2009

    Surinamese Teachers Trained on HIV and AIDS

    Since the beginning of 2009 the Surinamese unions participating in the EFAIDS Programme have been busy training teachers on HIV and AIDS issues.

    Surinamese Teachers Trained on HIV and AIDS
  8. News 1 July 2009

    Teachers and HIV &AIDS: Achievements and Challenges

    Education International participated in the 15th annual meeting of the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on Education which took place from 15- 17 June 2009 in Limerick, Ireland. A one day Symposium on the theme ‘Teachers and HIV & AIDS: reviewing achievements, identifying challenges’ preceded the meeting.

    Teachers and HIV &AIDS: Achievements and Challenges
  9. News 1 July 2009

    Teacher unions highlight need to tackle AIDS-related stigma and discrimination

    Teacher unions working on the EI EFAIDS Programme shared their experiences with participants of the IIEP and UNAIDS-IATT Web Forum Report: ‘Teachers and HIV & AIDS: Reviewing achievements, identifying challenges’. Below are summaries of some of their contributions to the E-Forum.

    Teacher unions highlight need to tackle AIDS-related stigma and discrimination
  10. News 1 July 2009

    Convention on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work a distant goal

    The 98th Session of the International Labour Conference, (ILC), took place in June 2009 in Geneva, and marked an important stage in the process towards the adoption of an international labour standard on HIV/AIDS.

    Convention on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work a distant goal
  11. News 24 June 2009

    EI to participate in Iran Action Day protest events on 26 June

    Education International, together with International Trade Union Confederation, the European transport workers’ Federation, and other trade unionists, human rights activists and concerned individuals, will gather in front of the Iranian Embassy at 1.00 pm on Friday 26 June, at this Iran Action Day, to protest the lack of union rights...

    EI to participate in Iran Action Day protest events on 26 June
  12. News 18 June 2009

    Embassy protests spearhead Iran action day

    Demonstrations at Iranian embassies and consulates in Bangkok, Canberra, London, New Delhi, Tokyo and Wellington, among others, are some of the protests that have now been scheduled for an action day on Iran on June 26th. Four global union organisations representing over 170 million workers have called the worldwide action...

    Embassy protests spearhead Iran action day
  13. News 4 June 2009

    Urgent Action Appeal USA: Support for the Employee Free Choice Act

    EI and its member organizations in the United States request your support for their campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The act would protect American workers’ rights to join unions and to bargain collectively, free from employer intimidation and threats of dismissal.

    Urgent Action Appeal USA: Support for the Employee Free Choice Act
  14. News 29 May 2009

    Turkish teacher activists arrested

    Education International has written to the government of Turkey to condemn the fact that more than 30 members of Egitim Sen, EI’s Turkish affiliate, were arrested in the early hours of 28 May. In a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, EI deplores this latest police action against...

    Turkish teacher activists arrested
  15. News 28 May 2009

    EI launches Urgent Action Appeal for support for its affiliate in Ethiopia

    EI has launched an Urgent Appeal today appealing for support from all member and partner organisations to lobby the Ethiopian authorities to allow the members of the ex-Ethiopian Teachers' Association (ETA) to register a new independent teacher organisation.

    EI launches Urgent Action Appeal for support for its affiliate in Ethiopia
  16. News 20 May 2009

    World protests to demand union rights for Iranian workers

    Four global union organisations representing over 170 million workers have called a worldwide action day on June 26 to demand justice for Iranian workers. Demonstrations will take place outside Iranian embassies and consulates to protest the ongoing denial of rights and arrests of trade unionists within the country.

    World protests to demand union rights for Iranian workers