Ei-iE

7 October is the World Day for Decent Work – a day to remember the precarious situation of millions of women around the globe, and to call for decent work and decent lives for women.

Trade unions across the world are mobilising on 7 October to tackle the global economic and employment crisis and demand fundamental reform of the world economy.

Despite world leaders committing to achieve universal primary education by 2015, as part of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Summit in 2000, this goal remains unfulfilled with limited progress and time running out.

On 5 October, millions of teachers and education workers will be joined by children, young people and parents across the globe to celebrate World Teachers’ Day.

The next summit of G20 leaders will be held in Seoul from 11-12 November. To make education a priority, EI is calling on its member organisations to actively campaign to place education higher on the G20 agenda.

Teacher unionists from Central and Eastern European (CEE) have adopted a declaration following a roundtable meeting in Bucharest, Romania, in which they have shared concerns about the effects of the economic crisis on funding for education and, in particular, on teachers' salaries.

Landmark international conference brings together private and public sector workers, government and civil society leaders Quality Public Services – Action Now! October 12-14, Geneva, Switzerland

As the countdown begins to Education International’s Sixth World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, the registration process for the thousands of participants is now live.

Trade unions in Spain have called the whole country to take part in a general strike on 29 September to oppose changes in workers conditions and pension rights that Zapatero’s government is implementing.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is staging a European Day of Action on 29 September in opposition to austerity programmes being adopted by governments all over the continent.

Thousands of teachers from all over the Republic of China (Taiwan) descended on its capital, Taipei City, on 26 September to demonstrate for the right of private school teachers to receive pensions.

EI is extremely concerned about the health and wellbeing of 34 Mapuche political prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 75 consecutive days, since 12 July, and who have been joined by two young people on hunger strike since 1 September.

Nearly 40 staff and student union members have gathered in Bratislava, Slovakia, to undertake an intensive three-day training programme on advocacy and lobbying skills for the promotion of student centered learning.

EI is pleased to have been informed by its affiliate member, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), that 5 October has been declared a national public holiday in Uganda, in honour of World Teachers’ Day.

EI is convening its First World Women’s Conference,‘On the Move for Equality’, from 20-23 January 2011, in Bangkok, Thailand. The registration process is now open and EI encourages all its members to attend the event.

EI’s 7th International Higher Education and Research Conference was held in Canada, from 10-12 September, and was attended by more than 130 participants from all corners of the globe.

More than 35 participants from Africa, Europe and the Middle East have converged in Fribourg, Switzerland, to assess developments in education across the French-speaking world.

Following the success of 7 September’s general strike, trade unions in France have called for another coordinated national strike across all sectors in opposition to the pension reform proposals being rushed through Parliament by President Sarkozy’s administration.