The ship breaking yards of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh receive with most of the worlds’ large ships. The reasons that most of the world’s ships end up in these shipyards is that the wages for workers are incredibly low, working days very long and have almost non-existing health and safety […]
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On the 31st of January this year, at least 13 workers died in a fire at the Nappco plastic factory located in a building complex in a crowded market area in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka (see video). Early reports indicate that fire precautions and exits were substandard with many workers trapped […]
At the end of January, an estimated 15,000 metalworkers in Turkey began a campaign to achieve a better agreement than what has been offered by employers and the government in terms of wages and conditions. The campaign involves a series of industrial actions during the month of February in factories […]
As reported in previous items, the situation for workers in Iran is very serious with increasing cost of living pressures, stagnating wages and harsh repressive conditions hindering any independent organising. Nevertheless, recent events such as the strike by thousands of workers at an ore mine in the Bafgh region against […]
Meatworkers and truck drivers in the state of Victoria are taking on the Coles supermarket chain, which is part of one of Australia’s biggest companies, over a new proposed agreement that would slash wages and destroy hard won conditions. Coles, in co-operation with the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association […]
The coal mining industry in China has one of the worst health and safety records in the world with thousands of workers dying each year , as a result of industrial accidents. The ongoing global economic crisis has seen a recent downturn in the total production of coal. This has […]
The situation for workers in Thailand has continued to deteriorate over the last few months with further clamping down on civil liberties under the Lese Majeste law (see here and here). In addition, the military is intimidating opposition politicians by ordering them to attend military barracks where they will be educated […]
Public Meeting Wednesday 4 February, 6pm Evatt Room, Trades Hall, Lygon Street Carlton With: Lex Wotton, on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Barbara Shaw, on the Northern Territory Intervention A speaker from the ETU about their Indigenous Apprenticeship project and the NTEU National Indigenous Organiser (to be confirmed) All welcome Download […]
This is the last regular mini news for 2014. The full mini news will restart in the first week of February 2015. The Asia Pacific Currents radio program is also taking a break. The first APC program for 2015 will be on Saturday the 7th of February. The first public […]
It has been well over a year since the massacre of over 1,100 garment workers at Rana Plaza and still the fight for proper compensation continues. Benetton is one of the major brands that has not contributed anything yet. In an unrelated development, owners of two of the garment factories […]