A number of Thai unions have begun to campaign for a 20% increase in the minimum wage. This campaign is being totally opposed by the Thailand Chamber of Commerce even though the minimum wage was last raised in 2013. Unfortunately, unions are now operating in a very different environment as […]
Monthly Archives: July 2015
29 posts
A suicide bombing this week in the Turkish town of Suruc was a clear political attack on labour and international solidarity activists. The bomber targeted a gathering of activists who were meeting as part of an ongoing effort to reconstruct the northern Syrian town of Kobane. The city of Kobane […]
Anganbadi childcare workers in India are in their second week of a hunger strike to press for their demand for permanent employment, an 8 hour day, a minimum wage and benefits on par with other government workers in India. Anganbadi is a government sponsored child-care and mother-care program which relies […]
While the last two years, under the impetus of the Abe government, have seen a marked increase in the war readiness of Japan, there has been a corresponding increase in protests against this new militarism (see here and here). Late last month, a major rally of over 30,000 people surrounded […]
In an historic achievement, and after years of fighting, the government of Myanmar has agreed to institute a national minimum wage. Though the wage is very low, set at just over US $3 per day, this will mean a wage rise for many workers in a country that is fast […]
As reported previously, South Asia is the hub for the shipbreaking industry in the world. Unfortunately, the industry is concentrated in these countries because workers are un-unionised, they get starvation wages and working conditions are often deadly (see here, here and here). Because of continuing pressure by workers all around […]
It is just over a year since Israel unleashed the latest round of warfare on the people of Gaza. The effects of the war were devastating, and because of the continuing siege, much of the damage is still evident. Life in Gaza remains precarious with a new war already being […]
Close to 200 workers employed by the global pharmaceutical company Aspen Holdings, in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, took industrial action after months of unsuccessful negotiations. The company had been attempting to extend hours of work and reduce rostered days off. The company had a pattern of employing newly arrived […]
Thousands of transport and logistics workers are engaged in two similar battles against global logistics companies. The companies are CEVA Korea and CJ Korea Express. Both companies are trying to weaken workers’ conditions by breaking previous union agreements and embarking on a campaign to intimidate workers. Workers at both workplaces […]
The weekend of the 18/19 of July saw a series of rallies by the far right groups of Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front in many cities in Australia. Anti racist and anti fascists rallies were organised to stop these groups from using these rallies as organising opportunities. The […]