It has been over three weeks since the first protests against the redevelopment of Gezi Park in central Istanbul. The protests sparked mass demonstrations against growing authoritarianism and inequality in Turkey. The response of the government has been to unleash wave after wave of police baton charges, backed up with […]
Monthly Archives: June 2013
39 posts
Samsung Electronics has a fearsome union busting reputation throughout its global stable of companies. A Korean labour committee is now accusing the government of using a sham sub-contracting system to keep at least 10,000 workers employed as non- regular employees. They would not be the only major company adopting this […]
Nagaworld is a luxury casino complex situated in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, that sells itself as a world class facility. What Nagaworld does not publicise is the continuing repression of union rights during the last four years. In 2009, it sacked 14 union organisers over a pay dispute. […]
A complete ban on asbestos in Australia only came in force in 2003. While it is no longer in use, the widespread use of it in the past means that many people are still becoming sick from it, even from small exposures. Australia now has established the world’s first Asbestos […]
As reported last week, the protest movement in Turkey has deep social roots. While the Turkish Prime Minister has now had talks with representatives of the protesters, the week has seen ongoing clashes between the riot police and demonstrators. Over 5,000 protestors are now thought to have been injured. Workers […]
Following the catastrophic collapse of the Rana Plaza complex in late April, an inspection team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology found that at least 10% of the 200 factories they checked were structurally dangerous. As participation in this survey was voluntary, it is expected that the rate […]
With continuing technological advances in the transport, communications and manufacturing sectors, the world economy is becoming increasingly more integrated every day. This can be seen in the effect of the current capitalist crisis on workers around the world. We call this a ‘brutal race to the bottom’. It has become […]
Maruti Suzuki in India is currently promoting itself as an example of Corporate Social Responsibility. It has now teamed up with the Times of India newspaper to proclaim a New India. The reality is that Maruti Suzuki’s repression of its workforce is continuing unabated. While many of the leaders are […]
Iran’s general election for a new president was conducted this week. While there were a number of candidates standing, the reality for workers is that austerity and repression will continue whoever wins. A recently released report stated that over 50% of Iranians now live under the poverty line, with many […]
The great majority of ships that are past their use-by-date end up on beaches in Pakistan, India or Bangladesh to be broken up. In these localities, non existent regulations, low wages and almost no union presence make the task of dismantling these ships very cheap for their owners. On the […]