Yearly Archives: 2015

Ten years ago, on the 11th of December, in a media inspired frenzy, thousands of people converged in Sydney’s seaside suburb of Cronulla to unleash an anti-Lebanese and anti-Arab riot. This year Australia has seen the rise of a number of anti-Muslim far right groups who are determined to grow […]

In two separate accidents, less than two hours apart, three construction workers in Perth, Western Australia were killed at their workplace. These latest deaths bring the annual number of workers killed at work in Australia to 170. Unions in Australia have worked very hard to reduce the number of fatalities […]

Last week we reported on the numerous union offices that have been raided by police in an attempt to intimidate a growing anti-government movement that is spearheaded by Korean workers. As a response to these attacks, labour and human rights activists called for another demonstration for Saturday the 5th of […]

The systemic exploitation of migrant workers in the Gulf countries of West Asia has been well documented before (see here and here). A recent case has highlighted the barbarity that many of these workers have to endure with the case of a Sri Lankan maid being sentenced to death by […]

A landslide at a jade mine in northern Kachin state this week, buried over 100 miners with more workers still missing. This landslide was only the most recent one in an area where corruption, repression and deregulation all create the conditions for these deadly accidents. Miners are forced to work […]

Another deadly fire at a coal mine in north-eastern Heilongjiang province in China claimed the lives of at least 21 workers last week. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. The Chinese coal industry has an appalling safety record, even though improvements are being made. Nevertheless, for millions of workers […]

Hundreds of thousands of workers took action across 22 provinces and 200 cities of Indonesia this week. Workers are demanding a living wage across the nation and are protesting against restriction to their rights to bargains as well as the current repression by police against trade unionists. Participation by workers […]

As reported recently, South Korean workers staged a massive demonstration in the centre of the capital Seoul calling on the government to resign over continued anti-worker policies. While the demonstration was attacked by the police, these attacks have continued in the days following. Police have conducted raids on the offices […]

As reported previously, the continued occupation and repression of Palestinians are having a terrible effects on working class people both physically and psychologically. Workers are starting to be targeted more specifically with industrial workplaces and media outlets being closed for security reasons. Amid this suppression and the stagnation of any […]

It has been three years since a fire at a garment factory in Nischintapur, Ashulia in Bangladesh killed over 110 workers and left hundreds more injured. The relatives of the dead and the survivors are still suffering while company and government compensation has been inadequate. The fight for justice continues. […]