Yearly Archives: 2017

Last week a massive explosion destroyed a firecracker factory in Balaghat, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, killing up to 25 workers and injuring many other workers. The immediate cause of this disaster is not known, but unfortunately this was not an isolated incident. Explosions and fires at factories producing […]

The dispute that started early in May at the giant Grasberg copper and gold mine in West Papua, owned by Freeport McMoran, has continued to escalate with more than 3,000 workers now having been sacked. At the same time as these dismissals, Freeport McMoran is in discussions with the Indonesian […]

Three young construction workers were killed this week when the bamboo platform they were working on collapsed from the 10th storey of the building, sending them to their death. Investigations are still ongoing but preliminary signs point to the lack standard safety measures and negligence by supervisors of the construction […]

The new unfolding crisis in West Asia that centres on Qatar can be traced back to the political shockwaves that the Arab Spring has produced since 2011. In particular, it is the current and developing situations in the wars in Iraq and Syria that are leading various ruling elites such […]

This week, after a long campaign by workers and labour activist, the leading apparel company of Khaadi signed a new agreement with its workforce. The estimated 6,000 workers will now have standardised written contracts, decreased overtime, guarantees against gender discrimination, secure social security payments, access to bonuses, and access to […]

The ongoing heroic struggle by Maruti Suzuki workers in the Manesar region of northern India is the subject of a new documentary – ‘The Factory’. The documentary focuses on the 3 year criminal prosecution of hundreds of workers, exposing the structural injustice of the law in India that protects the […]

On Tuesday 20 June, the powerful CFMEU has called for a major rally in Melbourne, Australia to protest against the ongoing attacks against workers. In particular, the focus will be on the special anti-union powers of the ABCC, the cutting of wages for workers in the retail and hospitality industries, […]

For 41years 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne, Australia has featured union, worker, indigenous, women’s, ethnic, environmental, music and other community programs that are not heard elsewhere. As a community radio station, 3CR Radio funding comes from its listeners. Every year, a Radiothon is held to raise funds for the radio […]

Esmail Abdi was transferred from prison to a Tehran hospital late last week due to his deteriorating conditions. Esmail has been on a hunger strike since the 30 April in protest against his treatment in jail and his arrest. Esmail is a leading member of the Teachers’ Trade Association of […]

This week, around 6,000 workers employed by the Şişecam company, the biggest glass manufacturer in Europe, staged a series of industrial actions in support of their demands (see here and here). These protests are in direct response to the Turkish Government’s attempt to stop their organising efforts by banning strike […]