Author: jiselle

The regions of Gurgaon and Manesar, near the Indian capital of New Dehli, are huge industrial areas that employ millions of people. The workers at the car plant of Maruti Suzuki staged a number of heroic actions before they were brutally repressed by the government (see 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015). Nevertheless, workers are still rebelling against the brutal conditions of these new workplaces. Earlier this month, thousands of auto workers rallied to protest against repression, low wages and for the right to organise. Meanwhile, the campaign to release the imprisoned Pricol 8 continues.

As reported last week, some of the workers that had been arrested at the Khatoon Abad Copper Mines earlier this month had been released. This week, all the other workers have also been released. While free, it is probable that they will be charged in the near future, therefore solidarity is still needed. In an unrelated matter, this week, Davoud Razavi, a member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Vahed Syndicate), was sentenced to five years in prison. His ‘crime’ was for taking part in workers’ demonstrations.

While for many years, Chinese workers have been unable to organise independently, the reality is that in the last few years we have seen the growth of more confident and combative groups of workers. In the first few weeks of this year, nursing staff all over China have continued to take action over pay but especially over precarious employment arrangements. Administrators at Chinese hospitals routinely replace older, casual workers who are entitled to a more permanent contract with younger and cheaper staff.

As reported previously, Australia has been witnessing the growth of new racist and fascist organisations. The continuing economic situation, the never ending War on Terror, and the vilification by politicians and the mass media of refugees and Muslims have provided a fertile ground for these parties to develop. One of these, the United Patriots Front will hold a meeting to establish their new party in the Victoria regional town of Bendigo. Labour and anti-racist activists will rally to counter their mobilisation on Saturday the 27 February 2016.

The city state of Singapore is a tightly controlled country where labour is heavily regulated and workers have little scope to organise independently. Labour and social protests are often quickly repressed by the government (see here and here). A rare sit down protest by migrant workers in the construction industry this week, once again exposed the exploitation that migrant workers endure in this city state.

Workers at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are continuing with their strike notwithstanding the murder of two of their colleagues at a recent demonstration. Support from other workers and unions for the PIA workers has been continuing as their strike is seen as crucial in rebuilding the workers movement in Pakistan. Unfortunately, the repression against the PIA workers continues with the recent disappearance of four trade union leaders at the hands of a special paramilitary force. They were released a week later.

In December of last year, eight automotive workers in Tamil Nadu, India, received double life sentences stemming from strikes and protests in 2009. Their sentencing has generated lots of protests both within India and internationally. Within India, all eleven major trade union centres have come out in support of the jailed workers. This harsh sentence is clearly an attempt to intimidate a combative and organised group of workers.