Monthly Archives: December 2012

Indonesian workers earlier this week, staged a militant demonstration outside the Japanese and south Korean embassies in Jakarta to protest against outsourcing practices of companies from these countries. This protest was only the latest in a protracted and continuing industrial campaign against outsourcing. Indonesian workers see outsourcing as a strategy […]

Following on from the fire at the Tazreen Factory in Dhaka that killed 112 workers, documents have emerged showing that major companies like Walmart were aware of substandard factory conditions, but refused to fund any improvements because they were too expensive. This is another tragic example of companies putting profits […]

Last week, members of the Service & Food Workers Union (SFWU) employed at PepsiCo's Bluebird Foods plant in Auckland, voted against a company proposal to reduce overtime pay rates. Such a reduction would have undermined the wages and conditions of workers of a similar PepsiCo factory in Australia. This is […]

Last month, over 300 people came together to form the ‘Network for Exposed Workers’. This new group will organise to protect the safety and health of workers exposed to radiation, as well as fight to improve the working conditions around the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. This event was closely followed […]

During 2010, a large mass movement was demanding greater democratic rights in Thailand. In response, the then government headed by Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva unleashed the army against the protesters who were encamped in central Bangkok. Up to 100 people were killed. In an encouraging development for families and friends of […]

Following on from the massive general strike a few weeks ago, workers in Indonesia are starting to reap the benefits of their campaigning and organising against insecure work. Earlier this week, the Indonesian Government passed new legislation restricting the use of outsourcing and precarious employment. This new law should benefit […]

Just a couple of days before the horrific fire at a garment factory in Dhaka, a national human rights tribunal on “living wages for garment workers” was held in Bangalore, India. This Tribunal heard horrific testimonies from workers about the dark and often abusive working conditions that garment workers face […]

We have previously reported on the occupation of an electricity pylon by two irregular workers at Hyundai in Ulsan in October.  Workers across Korea responded and joined the struggle by setting up sky high occupations. Aerial protests are set up in Ulsan, Asan, Dongducheon and Pyeongtaek. Among the protests is […]

In the early hours of Thursday the 29th of November, hundreds of riot police raided protest camps in Monywa, in northern Burma. Hundreds of local residents had been conducting a sit in against the copper mine because of environmental effects, land confiscations and forced relocations. All the protest camps have […]

Migrant bus drivers from China began a strike on November 26 that lasted two days, with 171 participants on the first day and 88 on the second day. Their main concerns are low pay and bad conditions. They are also paid less than Singaporean and Malaysian drivers. The government has […]