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IKEA workers from unions across the world have sent messages of support to colleagues in Canada, who have been locked out for almost 7 months during a collective bargaining dispute and an anti-union drive by local management.

More than 300 employees and their families face a desperate holiday period having been locked out from their jobs without pay at the Swedish retail giant’s store at Richmond, British Columbia store since May 13, 2013.

The solidarity messages, organised by UNI Commerce across its network of 3 million retail workers worldwide, read:

“We, the workers at IKEA stand in full solidarity with our sisters and brothers at IKEA Richmond (Canada) and your union The Teamsters in your just fight for a fair collective agreement and for the right to freely exercise your rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

“It is time that IKEA puts its own values into practice and stops its anti-union practices and intimidation of workers, ends the lock-out that has lasted for almost 7 months and returns to the bargaining table in good faith.

“We fully support any necessary actions in defence of worker’s rights at IKEA Richmond and at IKEA globally.”

The messages, which came from as far as Belgium, South Korea, Denmark, Poland, Brazil, Turkey and Japan, reached workers on a day of international support for the group. To read the messages, or to leave one of your own, visit the UNI Global Alliance at IKEA Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/UnionAllianceIKEA

Hundreds of dock workers at 10 international shipping ports held rallies to show their support for the 300 Teamsters members who have been locked out.

The dock workers, members of 11 unions that belong to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), carried banners that read "Dockers Solidarity with IKEA Workers/ITF."

Dock workers held demonstrations at ports in Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Last month, an International Fact-Finding Commission formed by UNI Global Union and the ITF held hearings on the lockout. The Commission released their findings in a report, "How IKEA is Hurting Families: Report on the IKEA Lockout in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada." The report calls on IKEA to end the lockout and return to the bargaining table in good faith immediately.

Last week, a representative from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters joined a delegation of locked-out workers and international labour leaders who traveled to Sweden to call on IKEA to end the abuse of its workers and stop the lockout.

In Stockholm, the delegation presented the report to Lars-Anders Häggström, president of UNI Global Union affiliate Handelsanställdas Förbund (Handels), the trade union representing shop workers at IKEA Sweden.

The report calls on IKEA Canada to end its support of anti-union organisation, Labour Watch, and ensure its legal counsel follows the global standards of IKEA. Around 2010, IKEA changed its outside legal counsel to anti-union law firm Fasken Martineau. IKEA workers and the local union identify this change in legal counsel as the key driver of the new, divisive, management approach to labour relations.

Finally, the report calls on IKEA to set a new voluntary standard for its employees in Canada and worldwide, by engaging with UNI Global Union toward a Global Framework Agreement, ensuring a common application of IKEA values.