Ei-iE

Union renewal and development

We bring together our member organisations to discuss and share experiences, good practices and ideas on responding to collective challenges. Together we are building the education unions of the future: mass participation organisations that reflect the diverse interests and identities of their members and offer educators a multitude of ways to engage and contribute.

Our work in this area

  1. Worlds of Education 21 June 2023

    Teaching society through strike protest songs

    Piotr Kowzan

    Strikes are emotionally difficult because a prolonged absence from work can be challenging for teachers, especially if they spend the strike period in schools with no students. It is often a moment of financial distress for teachers’ families. When confronted by the police, strikers face physical danger as well. But,...

    Teaching society through strike protest songs
  2. News 25 April 2023

    The Gambia: Development cooperation supports teacher union’s co-operative credit union

    The successful partnership between the Gambia Teachers Union Co-Operative Credit Union (GTUCCU) and the Comhar Linn INTO Credit Union of Ireland has positively impacted the lives of teachers and their families in The Gambia. GTUCCU currently has over 30,000 members who use a variety of financial services, including savings and...

    The Gambia: Development cooperation supports teacher union’s co-operative credit union
  3. News 24 April 2023

    Strengthening education unions, a key priority in Latin America

    Cooperation and solidarity, the Pedagogical Movement and women workers in education and their network. These initiatives to strengthen education unions were debated during the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation Café dedicated to the Latin American region.

    Strengthening education unions, a key priority in Latin America
  4. News 24 April 2023

    Education International provides educators with a tool to support the strengthening of their unions

    Education International (EI) has developed a "Toolkit for Union Building – Making Education Unions More Effective” . This toolkit enables each member organisation to engage in a process of self-assessment, proposing that they experiment with new activities to strengthen their organisations.

    Education International provides educators with a tool to support the strengthening of their unions
  5. News 14 April 2023

    Development cooperation and solidarity in the Caribbean, in times of COVID-19 and afterwards

    Present in Brussels, Belgium, for a meeting of the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation Network , Don Howell, General Secretary of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) - an Education International umbrella body for teachers in the Caribbean - and President of the Saint Lucia Teachers' Union (SLTU), explained how...

    Development cooperation and solidarity in the Caribbean, in times of COVID-19 and afterwards
  6. Worlds of Education 20 March 2023

    Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers

    Howard Stevenson

    How can unions engage in a genuine renewal process and build union power to address union members’ needs in a fast changing political environment?

    Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers
  7. News 20 March 2023

    Development cooperation partners reaffirm their commitment to support education unions’ capacity-building activities

    The recent meeting of the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation (DC) Network gathered education unionists and cooperation development partners from all over the world, the first one since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. They took stock of past and current projects and exchanged good practices and tools to...

    Development cooperation partners reaffirm their commitment to support education unions’ capacity-building activities
  8. Worlds of Education 8 March 2023

    Supporting women’s participation and leadership through digital technologies: lessons from the experiences of education unions during Covid-19.

    Carol Miller, Houda Sabra

    The global Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted women workers. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) documented disproportionate job and income losses suffered by women worldwide during the pandemic : in 2019-2020 alone, women’s employment declined by 4.2% (or 54 million jobs). The situation has put women at greater risk of job loss,...

    Supporting women’s participation and leadership through digital technologies: lessons from the experiences of education unions during Covid-19.
  9. Worlds of Education 2 March 2023

    From “private affairs” to a statutory Queer Committee in the union

    Bodo Busch

    LGBTI rights in the workplace are human rights and therefore a genuine union issue. The conditions and ways to defend them are very different around the globe. For the German Education & Sciences Union (GEW), the path started from grassroots groups after a reform of the penal code in 1972...

    From “private affairs” to a statutory Queer Committee in the union
  10. Publications

    Toolkit to Build Union Strength

    For more Effective Education Unions
    28 February 2023

    Education International has developed a "Toolkit to Build Union Strength – For more Effective Education Unions”. This toolkit enables each Education International member organisation to engage in a process of self-assessment, proposing that they experiment with new activities to strengthen their organisations.

    Toolkit to Build Union Strength
    1. Download
  11. News 27 February 2023

    European unions’ solidarity brings progress on social and policy dialogue, gender equity and union renewal

    Development cooperation (DC) partners of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) – Education International’s European Region – met for a DC Café online and discussed activities related to social and policy dialogue, gender equity and union renewal.

    European unions’ solidarity brings progress on social and policy dialogue, gender equity and union renewal
  12. News 24 February 2023

    Türkiye: Solidarity is in unions’ DNA

    In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and strong aftershocks that hit Southern Türkiye and Northern Syria on 6th February 2023, Education International (EI) has launched an urgent action appeal to respond to the impacts of this disaster and support its Turkish affiliate Eğitim Sen in its efforts to help...

    Türkiye: Solidarity is in unions’ DNA
  13. News 17 February 2023

    Development cooperation backs up Arab education unions’ actions for democracy, gender equality and quality education

    Many development cooperation (DC) partners participated in the Education International (EI) Café at the EI Arab Countries Cross-Regional Structure (ACCRS). They received information on recent challenges and progress of education unions in the region.

    Development cooperation backs up Arab education unions’ actions for democracy, gender equality and quality education
  14. News 16 February 2023

    India: International union solidarity crucial to educators’ professional development

    The All India Primary Teachers’ Federation (AIPTF) has organised a capacity building programme aimed at creating a pool of resource persons who would provide professional development training to the members of its affiliate, the Kerala Pradesh School Teachers Association (KPSTA).

    India: International union solidarity crucial to educators’ professional development
  15. News 13 February 2023

    Social and policy dialogue, a key to union renewal?

    Education International member organisation Union of Education Norway is exploring new ways of structuring development cooperation (DC) projects and ensuring that the educators’ voice is heard when decisions are made concerning educational issues and the teaching profession.

    Social and policy dialogue, a key to union renewal?
  16. News 8 February 2023

    Union development cooperation put to good use to fight privatisation of education and promote youth involvement in Africa

    The development cooperation (DC) Café held on 27 January presented activities undertaken and planned by Education International’s Africa Region (EIRAF) with member organisations in the region and international DC partners. Two specific projects were highlighted: the Global Response to the Privatisation and Commercialisation in and of Education campaign and the...

    Union development cooperation put to good use to fight privatisation of education and promote youth involvement in Africa
  17. News 27 January 2023

    The John Thompson Fellowship Programme, from Asia to Africa

    Through the John Thompson Fellowship (JTF) Programme , education unionists are given the opportunity to gain direct and valuable information, exchange experiences, ideas, and best practices and foster solidarity among the organisations. Education International, DC partners and education unions have taken stock of successful results in North Asia and launched...

    The John Thompson Fellowship Programme, from Asia to Africa