Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck has publicly, pointedly threatened to pull the world's largest food company out of Switzerland in response to discussions within the government on legislation to cap executive pay. Interviewed by the weekend Sonntag on September 13, Brabeck said Switzerland "may not be the right location for us", calling legislation on pay "the beginning of the end".

Orignially signed in 2005, the IUF and Vigeo have recently renewed their commitment to working together by signing a new cooperation agreement. Vigeo, which was first formed in 2002 is a social auditing firm based in Paris. Their objectives include promoting and diseminating social audit criteria and specific company ratings based on verifiable standards.Their clients include corporations and institutional investors.

More than 70 activists from the Philippines Alliance of Progressive Labour, including leaders of the IUF-affiliated NUWHRAIN, demonstrated their solidarity with the struggle against disposable jobs at Unilever's Pakistan tea operations at Unilever headquarters in Manila on September 15.

The IUF and the Swiss union UNIA organised a joint press conference in the Swiss capital of Bern on 10 July to launch the "Stop Nespressure" campaign in Switzerland and call on Nestlé to Stop the Nespressure and respect fundamental trade union rights!

On September 4, Sukesh Munda of Joy Birpara Tea Estate died of an enteric infection, bringing the number of tea worker deaths from the disease to four in a one-week period. By September 5, 250 workers from the estate had been admitted to hospital - over 100 of them on a single day.

The water-borne disease, of which acute diarrhoea is the main symptom, first showed up at the end of August at the Dheklapara estate, one of the many plantations which have been closed in India's enduring tea crisis. At least three child deaths have been recorded there.

The local hospital in Biapara which has only 100 beds is unable to cope with the number of patients, who have to share beds or sleep on blankets on the floor.

Domestic workers in Benin will finally be recognized as workers under the labour code. This news was brought to representatives of the Domestic and Restaurant Workers’ National Union, SYNEMB and its local from the Northern part of Benin, the Hotel and Domestic Workers Union of Borgou-Alibori, SEHM/BA at a meeting held at the national center CSA on Friday 28 August.

The meeting was organized by the IUF affiliate FESYNDER in order to give the African regional co-ordinator for domestic workers, Vicky Kanyoka, and the co-ordinator of the regional women’s project, Adwoa Sakyi, a possibility to exchange experiences with members of SYNEMB / SEHM/BA. Vicky Kanyoka also informed the union about the International Domestic Network and the preparation for the 2010 ILO discussion on a convention for domestic workers.

The IUF has added the Grand Aquila Hotel in Bandung, Indonesia to its' Global Hotel Monitor List, which provides advice for travellers and the tourism industry on union disputes in hotels around the world.

Since October 2008 137 workers (including the union’s office bearers) have been protesting their dismissal for exercising their right to freedom of association.

FLAI-CGIL launches campaign to stop exploitation in Italian tomato fields