A couple of months ago, Korean workers at the country’s biggest shipyards began an industrial campaign against the company’s attempt to restructure and drive down wages and conditions. The reality of constant cost cutting is that workers get killed at their workplace as health and safety is compromised. A recent […]
Monthly Archives: November 2015
38 posts
As reported previously, the shipbreaking industry in South Asia is characterised by union busting, low wages and horrific working conditions. A new video has been produced as part of a growing international campaign by labour groups to improve conditions for local workers by supporting the development of independent unions. The […]
The health issues surrounding asbestos are still a major problem for many workers in the world. As reported last week, there is a growing awareness of the need to ban asbestos in countries like India. This week is national asbestos awareness week in Australia where workers and labour organisations continue […]
The cotton industry is one of the biggest export earners for the government of Uzbekistan and thousands of workers are involved in the annual harvest. Unfortunately many of these workers are coerced to work for low wages, long hours and in unsafe working conditions. Recently a human rights defender documenting […]
The indiscriminate mass murder of workers and their families in Paris of a few days ago follows on from similar massacres in Beirut and Jacobabad. These massacres are mirrored in countries where wars waged by imperialist countries result in mass civilian casualties such as in Kunduz, Haydan and Raqqa. These […]
Globally workers are prevented from organising by capitalists and governments. By keeping us unorganised, they can pay us less, make us work harder, and make more profits for themselves. We face fines, dismissals, beatings, rapes and even murder. By keeping us weak, they can increase casualisation and contracting out. Many […]
As reported previously, workers in South Korea are facing sustained attacks on their rights and wages by government and companies. Many sectors are fighting back (see here, here and here) but this week, unions united with a number of other groups to stage a mass rally calling on the government […]
This year has seen a marked increase in mobilisations by a number of racist, far right and fascist organisations throughout Australia (see here and here). These mobilisations have been countered by a number of labour, anti-racist and anti-fascist activists. Unfortunately, the far right is continuing to organise and have called […]
The seafood industry is one of the most exploitative sectors in Thailand, abusing mainly migrant workers from neighbouring Myanmar. For workers, the ability to organise has decreased since the military took over last year. Nevertheless, this week, around 1,500 workers employed at the Golden Prize tuna canning factory went out […]
A worker was murdered and another three were injured last week, in two separate attacks against writers and publishers in Bangladesh. These incidents are not isolated. This year alone, there have been four internet bloggers murdered orchestrated by fundamentalist forces, both within and outside the government, to stifle debate on […]