As the peak union body for Australia, the ACTU participates in a range of international forums on behalf of unions and Australian workers, including the International Labour Organisation and the International Trade Union Confederation.
Australian unions are also active players in the global union movement, joining international campaigns and solidarity actions on a regular basis.
In this section, you will find statements by the ACTU on international issues, details of current international campaigns, and news from around the world.
June 4, 2020
With 305 million full-time equivalent jobs lost worldwide due to the pandemic, Australia and other leading economies need to act now to protect the rights and livelihoods of working people around the world.
May 20, 2020
A joint platform of India’s central trade unions has called a nationwide day of protest on Friday 22 May in opposition to the state and central government’s undermining of labour laws in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. ACTU President Michele O’Neil has written to the unions expressing the solidarity of the Australian trade union movement.
May 14, 2020
ACTU President Michele O’Neil has written to the Hong Kong government condemning the prosecution of Lee Cheuk Yan, General Secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), for participating in the protest movement.
April 20, 2020
The ACTU has joined 258 global and national organisations in calling on the World Trade…
March 16, 2020
Welcome to the first edition of the ACTU’s revived international solidarity newsletter! To sign up…
February 25, 2020
On 27 December, the Ukrainian government introduced new anti-worker labour laws to the Parliament – ACTU President Michele O’Neil has written to the Ukrainian government calling on them to withdraw the laws and consult with trade unions.
February 10, 2020
The ACTU calls on Prime Minister Morrison to raise the human rights violations occurring in West Papua with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during his visit to Canberra today.
December 12, 2019
This Human Rights Day, Australian unions mobilised in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth to demand an end to the attacks on trade unionists in the Philippines.
December 9, 2019
The Australian union movement stands with unionists in the Philippines who have become the target of frequent attacks, with 43 union members and officials being killed in the last three years. The ACTU is participating in a global day of action on Human Rights Day to draw attention to the treatment of unionists in the Philippines.
November 9, 2019
The ACTU welcomes the news of Lula’s release from prison
