Migrant workers all over the world endure some of the worst working conditions of all workers. A recent documentary in Australia exposed the wide ranging abuse of migrant workers in the agricultural sector by unscrupulous bosses via the use of sub-contracting and sham contracts. Unions for many years have been exposing and fighting for the rights of these workers. Unfortunately, in the last twenty years, workers in Australia have been hit with a rise in insecure and precarious work arrangements as companies attempt to drive down conditions.
Author: jiselle
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May Day rallies planned to fight for workers rights and global solidarity
May Day has been celebrated internationally since 1886 as the day for workers to unite as a class. Workers need to stop the policies of austerity and war. Capitalists are killing us, in our workplaces and in our communities. March in solidarity with workers in struggle everywhere. In Australia, this May Day will be a major day of struggle for Aboriginal rights. In Melbourne, the May Day solidarity rally will join the Aboriginal rally as a show of class solidarity to their struggle.Another May Day rally and festival will be held in Melbourne at 1pm, Sunday the 3rd of May, starting at Trades Hall.
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Pakistani textile workers freed from long term jail sentences
Faisalabad is Pakistan’s third largest city and is that country’s largest textile centre with hundreds of thousands of workers employed in the industry. In 2010, a series of demonstrations and strikes by the power loom workers in Faisalabad brought the sector to a standstill as workers fought for better wages and conditions. The state reacted by arresting many leaders and a number of them were sentenced for 80 years under anti-terrorist legislation. These workers have now been freed after four years in jail. We salute our comrades, their struggle and their sacrifice. -
South Korean workers take over streets in protests at new labour laws
As reported last week, the Korean labour movement launched a series of strikes, action and demonstrations against the current exploitative practices that companies are using against workers and new proposed labour laws that the government wants to introduce. The strikes and demonstrations have been massive, occurring throughout South Korea with tens of thousands of workers taking part from both the private and public sectors. Actions will continue next week, culminating in a major rally for May Day on Friday. -
More Chinese workers die in two coal mine accidents
The last week has seen more Chinese workers die in coal mines due to accidents caused by unsafe working conditions. In the first case, at least three workers were killed in Jixi City when the mine flooded, with others still missing. Later in the week, an explosion at another coal mine in Huainan city killed two miners, with many others trapped underground. Despite the government’s stated intentions to increase the health and safety of Chinese coal mines, these remain the worlds’ deadliest mining workplaces.
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Workers in Arab Gulf countries facing increasing hurdles to organising
As reported previously, workers in Bahrain have endured mass repression as they have struggled to open up democratic spaces. The government is now trying to neutralise workers’ power by setting up a yellow, pro-government union federation. In neighbouring Qatar, while the government is trying to deflect criticism about its appalling treatment of migrant workers by setting up a complaints hotline, it has now created a new ‘App’ for employers to report ‘absconding’ migrant workers to the authorities. -
Indian contract workers refuse relocation and wage cuts
Workers at the Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, are refusing to be transferred to a new facility in Rajastan at a lower wage than they currently receive in the factory outside Delhi. Police broke up a protest by 300 Hero MotorCorp employees. In addition to opposing the relocation, the 300 protesting workers are contract employees who are demanding job security. -
Uzbekistan’s cotton industry is based on forced labour
Labour rights activists protested outside Daewoo's headquarters in Seoul, to demand that the company stop purchasing cotton from Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has one of the largest state-enforced systems of forced labour, which requires more than a million children and adults to grow and harvest cotton each year. Daewoo buys 5% of all of Uzbekistan’s cotton. -
Cambodian garment workers are being worked to death
Cambodian unions are speaking out against the high incidence of faintings and even deaths in garment factories, due to overwork and lack of concern for workers' health. Workers' poor health is linked to Cambodia's poverty wages, which leave workers malnourished and drive them to work excessive overtime. Despite extreme poverty and government repression of social movements, the Australian government is continuing with its plans to send asylum seekers to Cambodia, see here and here. -
Tens of Chinese workers murdered in workshop explosion
At the start of this month, an explosion at the automotive parts factory Zhongrong Plating in the industrial city of Kunshan, Jiangsu province, killed at least 75 workers and injured another 200 workers. The explosion was caused by the airborne dust in the factory which was ignited by sparks from the machines in use. This explosion indicates that dust levels in the air were at extreme levels. Apart from sudden explosions, dust is the main contributor to the lung disease pneumoconiosis, a disease that already affects over 6 million Chinese workers. Tragedies like this once again highlight the desperate need for genuine, independent unions in China.