Yearly Archives: 2016

The strike by thousands of public railway and subway workers in South Korea has now been underway for close to six weeks with no sign of an end in sight. The original issues around precarious work and performance pay are still unresolved. While workers are still strong, negotiations with management […]

The power of workers in our workplaces comes from our ability to organise independently, to discuss issues, and take action to achieve better conditions and wages. All around the world, companies try to harass, divide and suppressany genuine workers’ organisations. Governments, for their part, provide the legal framework and police […]

Chinese coal mines are a recognised danger zone for many workers due to the number of accidents that occur every year. Coal mines are also a huge contributor to Pneumoconiosis, or ‘Black Lung’ disease, a condition that occurs from inhaling excessive fine dust and pollutants, such as coal dust. In […]

Earlier this week, over 1,000 petrol tanker drivers employed by state owned PT Pertamina went on strike in the greater metropolitan region of Jakarta, Indonesia. They are demanding to be hired as permanent employees and not as contractors, an end to unpaid overtime, and an 8 hour limit to the […]

A group of workers at the Caltex lubricants facility in Lytton, Queensland Australia, went on an indefinite strike against a proposed 15% wage cut. Caltex is one of the major global energy companies in the world. After 10 days of strike the workers won a deal that will see a […]

The opposition coalition in Malaysia that has come together under the banner of ‘Bersih’ (which means “clean” in the Malay language) to oppose corruption and nepotism in the government is gearing up for a new mass rally. While previous mass rallies have involved tens of thousands of people in Malaysia, […]

A massive explosionearlier this week killed 14 people and injured another 147 in the town of Xinmin, Shaanxi Province, destroying a number of buildingsin the working class residential neighbourhood. The cause of the explosion is thought to be due to illegally stored chemicalsfor use in one of the many coal […]

The continuing wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen are having a devastating effecton workers of these countries. Whether it is hospitals in Afghanistanor Syriabeing bombed, or funerals in Yemen, or market areas in Baghdad, the results are hundreds of dead at the hands of one of the various imperialist […]

Earlier this month, the Appeals Court of Tehran confirmed the six year sentenceagainst the General Secretary of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, Esmail Abdi. Teachers in Iran staged massive protestsin 2015 for better pay and conditions and against the deplorable state of public education in Iran. Esmail was targetedfor repression […]

The protest camp outside the headquarters of the giant Samsung Corporation in Seoul, South Korea has now passed its first year. This sit-in is run by a group of labour activists. They have campaigned relentlessly to bring justice to the many workers, and their families, who have been injured or […]