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 21 July 2007

    New DVD on the EFAIDS Programme

    EI has carefully collected footage to produce a short film which illustrates the story behind the EFAIDS Programme and why it is considered so important by the teacher unions implementing it.

    New DVD on the EFAIDS Programme
  2. 19 July 2007

    Courageous Colombians defend rights

    “Dignity and intellectual freedom transcend, like a phoenix, the bars and cells of repression and state tyranny.”

    Courageous Colombians defend rights
  3. News 10 July 2007

    Berlin Congress: getting to the heart of EFAIDS matters

    At the Education International Congress in Berlin this July, the EFAIDS team is putting on a variety of information and training sessions on issues related to the Programme.

    Berlin Congress: getting to the heart of EFAIDS matters
  4. News 10 July 2007

    Burkina Faso: Pandemic stabilising but teachers still at risk

    The two teachers' unions working on the EFAIDS Programme in Burkina Faso - the National Union of Secondary and Higher Education Teachers (SNESS) and the National Union of African Teachers of Burkina (SNEAB - have commissioned a study to explore the impact of HIV and AIDS on the teaching body,...

    Burkina Faso: Pandemic stabilising but teachers still at risk
  5. News 10 July 2007

    Botswana: Teacher Union Study Tour to Zambia

    Last May Roy Mwaba, General Secretary of the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT), paid a visit to the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) in order to share experiences on the EFAIDS Programme. From 10-13 June BTU representatives paid a return visit to ZNUT in Zambia. Led by Ronald Ketshabe (BTU...

    Botswana: Teacher Union Study Tour to Zambia
  6. News 10 July 2007

    Senegal: Teacher Unions evaluate EFAIDS Programme

    In mid June the Senegalese Committee of Education Unions against HIV/AIDS (COSSEL), which is composed of four EI affiliated teacher unions, namely, SNEEL-CNTS, SUDES, SYPROS and UDEN, carried out an evaluation of the EFAIDS Programme in Dakar.

    Senegal: Teacher Unions evaluate EFAIDS Programme
  7. News 10 July 2007

    Training for Life: EI publishes update on report

    EI has just published an update of its 2006 report "Training for Life" on the record of governments in providing training for teachers on HIV and AIDS. The report is the result of the hard work carried out by a number of EI's affiliates to establish the facts on teacher...

    Training for Life: EI publishes update on report
  8. News 28 June 2007

    Mali: Teacher banned over essay assignment

    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