Labour news from Asia
Asia
Asia Pacific workers hit by financial crisis 2009-06-26 [ITF] ILO Governing Body elects new Chairperson ─ Committee on Freedom of Association cites Myanmar, Cambodia and Islamic Republic of Iran 2009-06-23 [ILO]
Sixty-three dockers unions from 29 Asia Pacific countries to form regional federation of dock workers unions 2009-06-22 [Bernama]
Afghanistan
Canadians Must Oppose Afghani Laws Trampling Women's Rights 2009-04-21 [CAW] Paween Mushtakhel is forced into hiding as Taleban return to Kabul 2009-03-03 [The Times]
Plight of child labourers on Pakistani border 2009-02-25 [IRIN]
Armenia
Home, but not Alone: More “guest workers” remain in Armenia due to hard times in Russia 2009-07-01 [Armenia Now] Layoffs Carry Protest Potential 2009-02-07 [TOL]
Crisis abroad, no work at home 2008-12-26 [RFE]
Azerbaijan
Trade Union Confederation investigates forced mass leave of workers due to global economic crisis 2009-01-11 [APA] Azerbaijani workers receive an insignificant part of the oil pie as compared to foreigners 2008-10-15 [Today Az]
OGWU Win Union Rights, Pay Gains for Caspian Shipyard Workers 2008-06-30 [ICEM]
Australia
New law to cover foreign ships in victory for Maritime Workers Union 2009-07-04 [The Australian] Unions, employers share common ground 2009-07-04 [The Australian]
Western Australia Rockfall probe 'must be made public' 2009-07-04 [ABC]
Bangladesh
Tesco criticised over workers' conditions 2009-07-03 [Supermarket News] 12 garment workers held in Ashulia 2009-07-03 [The Daily Star]
Government scrambles to douse violence in recession-hit garment factories 2009-07-02 [Xinghua]
Bhutan
Deepening unemployment crisis hits rapidly growing youth population 2002-06-18 [BBC]
Brunei
Burma
TUC demands release of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi 2009-06-19 [tuc.org.uk] ILO: Junta Hammered Again on Forced Labour 2009-06-15 [ICEM]
Vocational training for migrant guest workers from AWU 2009-06-08 [Arakan Workers Union]
Cambodia
Remembering the rights of Cambodia's exploited child workers 2009-07-01 [LICADHO] ‘Garment industry is priority sector for Govt’ – Chief, GMAC 2009-06-25 [Fibre2Fibre]
Tack Fat workers continue week-old protest over pay 2009-06-17 [The Post]
China
CLB urges Apple to investigate reports of serious management misconduct at China supplier factory 2009-06-30 [China Labour Bulletin] CLB urges Apple to investigate reports of serious management misconduct at China supplier factory 2009-06-28 [China Labour Bulletin]
Congress to examine the changing role of workers in China 2009-06-28 [China Labour Bulletin]
Hong
India
Tamil Nadu Labour strife may force Pricol to shift plants out of Coimbatore 2009-07-04 [The Hindu Business Line] Maharashtra Air India staff stage walkout 2009-07-04 [Hindu]
Central Rly to pay Rs 3 lakh arrears to sanitary workers 2009-07-04 [TNN]
Indonesia
IMF creates strike fund for Indonesian Toshiba workers 2009-07-03 [IMF] VIDEO: IMF's Union Roadshow screened at film festival 2009-07-01 [International Metalworkers Federation]
Labor law outsourcing provisions face review 2009-07-01 [The Jakarta Globe]
Japan
Young Japanese Raise Their Voices Over Economy 2009-07-01 [NYT] Bridgestone Global Safety Steering Meets 2009-06-29 [ICEM]
Rengo union leader says Japan should abandon former-PM Koizumi policies which have widened gap between rich and poor 2009-06-18 [Bloomberg]
Kazakhstan
ArcelorMittal miners consider protest 2009-05-20 [Reuters] 1,800 workers strike at Burgylai oil wells 2009-04-06 [China Worker]
Disunited Journalists: No space for trade unions in a profession where staff are deterred from any kind of collective action 2009-03-22 [IWPR]
Korea
A paradigm shift for labor-management relations? 2009-07-04 [Hankyoreh] Police raid KTU's headquarters and chapter office 2009-07-04 [Hankyoreh]
Arrests and disciplinary procedures against protesting teachers 2009-07-03 [Education International]
Kyrgyzstan
Central Asia Kyrgyz trade union support US union campaign for Employee Free Choice Act 2009-06-30 [UNI] Social instability worries as 200 – 300 thousands labor migrants come back to Kyrgyzstan 2009-04-03 [24 Press Club News Agency]
Rising tide of hate crimes: Kyrgyzstan expands efforts to protect Kyrgyz workers in Russia 2008-11-21 [Georgian Daily]
Laos
LFTU Updates OSH plans 2008-09-29 [BWI] Trade Union Cadres Training Centre to be built in Laos 2008-07-05 [Nhan Dan]
On May Day, Lao Trade Union leaders call on working dads to protect their families from HIV 2007-05-01 [UNICEF]
Malaysia
Tesco under fire over foreign labour rights 2009-06-30 [Malaysianinsider.com] Malaysia May Hire Helpers Elsewhere 2009-06-29 [Jakarta Globe]
Maids may work illegally 2009-06-29 [strait times]
Maldives
THE REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES BECOMES 183RD ILO MEMBER STATE 2009-05-18 [ILO] Nurses consider strike action 2009-02-16 [Minivan News]
Protest by guest workers from Bangladesh ends in violence 2009-02-15 [Maldives News]
Mongolia
The Battle between Boroo Gold Mine and the Mongolian Trade Union Reaches No Consensus 2009-06-06 [Mongolia-Web] Gold mine negotiations may set pace for mining labor contracts 2009-06-04 [Mine Web]
Workers strike at Centerra's mine 2009-05-27 [Reuters]
Nepal
FNJ condemns death threats 2009-06-30 [The Rising Nepal] Political groups must end attacks on journalists in Nepal 2009-06-22 [IFJ]
The presence of child labour negatively affects adult wages and employment 2009-06-13 [BWI]
Pakistan
Settlement Secures Permanent Jobs for Dismissed Temps at Unilever Pakistan Rahim Yar Khan 2009-07-02 [IUF] SC summons record of 2,453 sacked HBL employees 2009-06-27 [Daily Times]
Unilever Drives Casual Tea Workers Deeper into Poverty for Claiming Rights 2009-06-17 [IUF]
Philippines
Workers of Taiwanese firm picket anew ActNOW! 2009-07-02 [Freeman Cebu] Radio broadcaster shot dead in Phillipines 2009-07-02 [IFJ]
Labor groups back striking workers of Keppel, Paul Yu ActNOW! 2009-06-30 [Freeman Cebu]
Singapore
Maid's fall: misadventure 2009-06-29 [strait times] Pay cuts stay, for now 2009-06-29 [strait times]
Help job seekers transit 2009-06-29 [strait times]
Sri Lanka
Workers get raw deal from lack of defined rules 2009-06-27 [The Island] Workers get raw deal from lack of defined rules 2009-06-27 [Lanka Times]
76 girls to be ousted from FTZ hostels: Union 2009-06-24 [The Daily Mirror]
Taiwan
Taiwanese teachers back-up Action Day 2009-06-25 [Justice for Iranian Workers] Activists pan typhoon day policy for not protecting workers’ rights 2009-06-22 [Taipei Times]
President should respect teacher’s right to form unions: Global teacher group 2009-06-15 [Taipei Times]
Tajikistan
Moscow's recession has seen the sacking of thousands of guest workers from the central Asian republics. 2009-04-12 [The Observer] Workers stage rare strike over pay in Tajikistan 2009-04-01 [Reuters]
Tajik Embassy Failing to Protect Guest Workers in Russia, Activists Say 2009-01-27 [Georgian Daily]
Thailand
Triumph labour union seeks PM's help after lay-off 2009-07-01 [MCOT] Triumph-brand lingerie and swimwear to lay off almost 2,000 workers 2009-06-30 [The Nation]
Triumph Company Plan to Lay off Workers. 2009-06-30 [Thai Labour Campaign]
Tibet
Scholar hails Tibet's 2009-01-21 [Xinhua] Dialogue and reform urged 2008-04-04 [UNI]
Filipino Activists Held Torch March for Tibetans 2008-04-04 [APL]
Turkey
Gov’t aims to pass union law reform in October 2009-07-04 [Today's Zaman] Metalworker unions increase pressure on Sinter Metal ActNOW! 2009-07-03 [IMF]
Public Workers Protest Government Proposal on Wages 2009-07-03 [Bianet]
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
World retailers force Uzbekistan to stop abusive child labor in its state-sponsored cotton industry 2009-05-26 [MosNews] Making cotton as homework for Uzbek children 2009-05-26 [AsiaNewsIT]
Retailers refuse to buy cotton picked by children in inhumane conditions 2009-05-26 [The Observer]
Vietnam
Unions strive to protect workers’ rights 2009-06-22 [VNS] SME workers most at risk of crisis impacts: ILO 2009-06-06 [Thanh Nien]
Crisis Strands Vietnamese Workers in a Czech Limbo 2009-06-06 [NYT]
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