All teachers and education support personnel have the right to organise and be part of a union that represents and defends their values and interests. However, around the world, education unions are facing serious attacks and operate in increasingly challenging and hostile environments. Revitalising unions, building their power by boosting membership and active participation and maximising impact is the way forward.
Education International has written to the Albanian government to protest against the expulsion of nationally recognised trade union confederations the KSSH and the BSPSH from their offices in Tirana.
Albania: EI deplores eviction of trade union confederations
EI supports the global call to stop the execution of a Sri-Lankan teenage girl who has been sentenced to death by beheading in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: Rizana Nafeek, 19 year old Sri Lankan faces beheading
Education International has written to the President of the Philippines following an urgent resolution adopted at the 5th World Congress calling on the government to immediately put a stop to extrajudicial killings and involuntary disappearances.
EI urges Philipines government to address extrajudicial killings
EI joins the Australian Education Union in voicing its concern about the suspension of Afghan MP, Malalai Joya from the parliament on 21 May.
Afghanistan: EI protests against the suspension of MP Malalai Joya
“Dignity and intellectual freedom transcend, like a phoenix, the bars and cells of repression and state tyranny.”
Courageous Colombians defend rights
On July 12th, public servants will take to the streets of Lisbon to protest against recent measures taken by the Portuguese government with a view to undermining labour rights.
Portugal: National demonstration against law that threatens collective bargaining
EI strongly condemned the abduction on 10 July of Mansour Osanloo of the Tehran Workers’ Bus Union, Sherkate Vahed.
Iran: Abduction of the President of the Vahed Bus Driver's Union
A secondary school teacher convicted of “offence against the head of state” has been sentenced to two months in prison and banned from his profession after assigning his students an essay about the indiscretions of a fictional president.
Mali: Teacher banned over essay assignment
Education International joins the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in calling for the immediate release of a secondary school teacher, a journalist and four editors jailed in Bamako for “offence against the head of state” after the publication of details of a school assignment.
Mali: EI joins the IFJ in calling for the release of imprisoned teacher and journalists
EI asks you to join in the call for the release of three teachers; our Urgent Action Appeal is relaunched in the wake of recent events.
Ethiopia: EI relaunched Urgent Action Appeal as harassment continues and teachers arrested