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.
In consultation with the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations, EI submitted an allegation to the UN Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Iran: EI draws attention of the UN Human Rights Council to the situation of teacher unionists
EI has launched an urgent appeal for action to its member and partner organisations on 3 September to engage their help in appealing against the dismissal of the president of the Fijian Teachers' Association (FTA) Tevita Koroi.
EI launches Urgent Action Appeal for the Fijian Teachers' Association
As thousands of Iranian citizens took to the streets of Tehran and other cities to demand fairness in their national election process, workers around the world expressed their support for social justice in Iran. On 26 June, EI and its affiliates joined trade unionists and activists in many countries to...
Worldwide solidarity with Iranian workers
“Open a school, and you will close a prison.” – Victor Hugo
Teaching abolition
Trade unions worldwide continue to protest at the continued harassment, random judicial proceedings and detention of members and leaders of the teacher union Egitim Sen and Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK).
Turkish unionists remain in jail
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
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
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
Education International, together with other Global Unions and a hundred trade unionists and human rights activists, demonstrated on 26 June in front of the Iranian Embassy in Brussels to demand justice for Iranian workers.
EI joins with other trade unions to demand rights for workers and a free society in Iran
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
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
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
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
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
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
Sajad Khaksari, the 25-year-old son of one of Iran’s leading teacher trade unionists, was arrested on 26 April in Tehran and remains in detention in Ward 10 of the Evin prison.
Iran: Son of teacher trade unionist detained
Shortly after the May Day crackdown on Iranian workers’ rallies, teachers organised gatherings to celebrate National Teachers’ Day on 4 May. The teacher association TTA invited members to gather in front of the Education Ministry in Tehran and in front of the Education Department offices in the provinces.
Iran: Teacher unionist detained after National Teachers’ Day demonstration
A coalition of four international trade union organisations told the Iranian government earlier this week to respect their citizens' rights and permit free assembly on May Day – a day when the Iranian authorities traditionally meet peaceful demonstrations with violence and arrests.
May Day: Union coalition warns Iran government off repression