Labour news from Asia
Asia
East Asia week of action commences Monday 2012-02-04 [ITF] Poverty pay unveiled on flag of convenience vessels 2012-01-20 [ITF]
ITF south east Asia week of action begins on Monday 2012-01-08 [ITF]
Afghanistan
Slave-like conditions' on Swedish army base 2012-01-09 [The Local] Calls for dialouge after ISAF admission in journalist death 2011-09-12 [IFJ]
IFJ Mourns BBC Journalist Killed by Nato Forces in Afghanistan 2011-09-11 [IFJ]
Armenia
Let Them Also Build a Mausoleum for Themselves’: 2011-11-08 [Epress] NKR President meets reps of Trade Union Federation 2011-01-28 [News.arm]
NKR President praises role of trade unions in democratic countries 2011-01-28 [PanArmenian]
Azerbaijan
IFJ Calls for Swift Action to Bring to Book Killers of Prominent Journalist in Azerbaijan 2011-11-28 [IFJ] Azerbaijan begins updating of general collective agreement 2011-09-29 [ABC.AZ]
Ilham Aliyev receives Russian trade union leader 2011-04-27 [News.Az]
Australia
Employers stuck in past and must catch up to values on equal pay for women 2012-02-04 [ACTU] Victoria Thales' workers 'devastated' by job cuts 2012-02-04 [ABC]
New South Wales Newsmaker: Louie the Fly 2012-02-04 [SMH]
Bangladesh
8th wage board by Feb: Azad 2012-01-30 [The New Age] Ishwardi EPZ workers protest layoffs 2012-01-30 [The Daily Star]
RAB releases transport leader after daylong agitation 2012-01-24 [The New Age]
Bhutan
Ministry of labour resolves dispute 2010-07-23 [Kuensel]
Brunei
Burma
BWI Welcomes Release of Political Prisoners in Burma 2012-01-19 [BWI] Special US envoy urges Myanmar to amend law to combat forced labor, human trafficking 2012-01-11 [WashingtonPost]
Burma's New Labor Law: Built to Fail or Shifting Toward Democracy? 2011-12-22 [Huffington Post]
Cambodia
Workers hold 'people's tribunal' to look at factory conditions 2012-02-03 [The Guardian] Better Factories Cambodia report on workplace standards tightens focus after previous criticism by unions and bosses 2012-02-01 [Phnom Penh Post]
Calls for re-evaluation of short-term workers 2012-01-30 [Phnom Penh Post]
China
Searching for the missing link: Miner struggles to prove labour relationship with former boss 2012-02-01 [China Labour Bulletin] Apple - make the iPhone 5 ethically.Sign the petition 2012-01-31 [Sum of Us]
Apple boycott brews over worker abuses 2012-01-30 [NZ Herald]
Hong
India
West Bengal Porters on strike at Howrah 2012-02-03 [TNN] Gujarat RIL workers of Naroda plant in Ahmedabad strike over salaries 2012-02-03 [The EconomicTimes]
Kerala HC says nurses an exploited lot 2012-02-03 [Deccan chronicle]
Indonesia
Editorial: wages deal good for companies, workers 2012-02-03 [The Jakarta Globe] SBY: labor salary should rise 2012-02-02 [JP]
Govt to revise remuneration system over labor uprising 2012-02-01 [The Jakarta Post]
Japan
Foreign care workers take exam for first time 2012-01-30 [Japan Times] Rengo, Keidanren clash in pay talks 2012-01-30 [Japan Times]
Air Nippon Pilot Union Threatens Strike on February 1st 2012-01-30 [4 Traders]
Kazakhstan
Member Of Public Commission Probing Kazakh Oil Town Clash Charged With Crime ActNOW! 2012-02-04 [RFE/Radio Liberty] State of emergency in oil town at centre of labour unrest comes to an end ActNOW! 2012-02-03 [UPI]
Critics arrested at unpredecented pace to quell dissent over brutal police response to oil worker dispute and recent parliamentary elections ActNOW! 2012-02-03 [WSJ]
Korea
1,500 days JEI sit-in struggle (#2) 2012-02-01 [CINA] 1,500 days JEI sit-in struggle (#1) 2012-01-31 [CINA]
Female health workers still struggle against discrimination over pregnancy 2012-01-31 [The Herald]
Kyrgyzstan
Three Kyrgyz 'Rescued From 10-Year Slavery' In Kazakhstan 2012-01-29 [RFE/Radio Liberty] Hunger strike of railwaymen wnds 2011-12-27 [24]
Members of youth railroad workers union went on indefinite hunger strike 2011-12-26 [24]
Laos
Asbestos in Asia: Breaking Through the Silence in Lao PDR 2012-01-09 [Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA] Launch of Teacher2Teacher Campaign - linking Australian teachers with counterparts in Laos 2010-03-15 [APHEDA-Union Aid Abroad]
ANZ funded project causing havouc in central Laos 2009-11-22 [Finsec]
Malaysia
Maybank dismissed NUBE Vice President and Hon. Treasurer for trade union activities 2012-02-03 [NUBE] Maybank drags all commercial banks down to violate even more laws 2012-02-03 [NUBE]
Unionists protest Maybank’s sacking of two officials 2012-02-03 [www.semparuthi.com]
Maldives
Parliament debating prohibiting protests at resorts 2010-11-22 [http://maldivesresortworkers.wordpress.com/] Marrige ceremony scandal reveals need for recognition of TEAM, the union for resort workers 2010-10-31 [TEAM]
a resort worker’s fatal journey home. 2010-10-19 [http://maldivesresortworkers.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/a-resort-w]
Mongolia
Striking teachers, Government still negotiating 2011-12-17 [MAD] Edinburgh Woollen Mill clothes made by North Koreans in Mongolia 2011-10-17 [BBC]
British companies are using exploited workers sent by the hermit regime of North Korea to fill its coffers 2011-10-14 [The Independent]
Nepal
Internationally Recognised Core Labour Standards in Nepal: Report for the WTO General Council Review (Geneva, 1 and 3 February 2012) 2012-02-02 [ITUC] Workers demand salaries 2012-02-02 [The Rising Nepal]
GEFONT to campaign -17 Paisa:17 Rights 2012-02-02 [GEFONT]
Pakistan
Young doctors announce OPD strike in Lahore 2012-01-30 [Dawn] Young Doctors Association takes back strike call 2012-01-30 [The News]
Over 80pc employees reject new pay structure 2012-01-25 [The Nation]
Philippines
“More Unionists were Killed”: Alliance of Progressive Labor testifies 2012-02-02 [APL] PALEA welcomes Chinese new year with Ayala motorcade and impeachment rally 2012-01-25 [All Voices]
Philippines ratifies ILO 185: comment 2012-01-23 [ITF]
Singapore
Batam battery company runs out of energy as workers strike 2012-01-20 [Asia One] Some foreign workers seeking help for botched medical treatment 2012-01-01 [Sunday Times]
For the first time in 50 years, NTUC gets a woman president 2011-12-09 [TODAY Online]
Sri Lanka
Train strike called off following Minister Welgama’s intervention 2012-02-02 [The Island] Railway strike called off following discussions with Minister 2012-02-02 [The Colombo Page]
Thousands stranded in rail strike 2012-02-01 [The Times]
Taiwan
Kaohsiung airport staff threaten strike 2012-01-21 [The Post] Foreign workers allowed to stay longer 2012-01-20 [Radio Australia]
Protesters urge better protections for migrant workers 2011-12-12 [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
Jailed labour activist's court move request denied 2012-01-27 [Front Line Defenders] Union campaigner Somyot in court again 2012-01-25 [Prachatai News]
NZ union leader backs jailed Thai campaigner Somyot 2012-01-25 [Thailand Mirror]
Tibet
Lhasa locals happy in labour union 2010-03-17 [China Tibet Online] Scholar hails Tibet's 2009-01-21 [Xinhua]
Dialogue and reform urged 2008-04-04 [UNI]
Turkey
Turkish government's renewed failure to adapt new trade union legislation respecting international standards 2012-02-03 [IUF] Threshold may paralyze number of trade unions 2012-02-01 [TDN]
Gvt crack down on unregistered foreign workers 2012-01-31 [Today's Zaman]
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Kids Hard At Work In Uzbekistan's Cotton Fields 2011-12-27 [RFE/Radio Liberty] Forced State-sponsored Child Labour Kills 2011-10-20 [Inter-Press Service]
Apparel firms join Uzbek cotton ban because of use of child labour 2011-09-14 [just style]
Vietnam
The number of wildcat strikes in Vietnam doubled last year 2012-01-20 [FT] Vietnam’s VGCL is even worse than China’s ACFTU: ILO official in FT interview 2012-01-20 [CPVW]
AIDS quagmire to get worse as international trade agreement threatens access to lifesaving medicine 2012-01-13 [ITUC]
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