Workers Resistance

Category: Asia

  • Shocking negligence: Workers protest against labourer’s death

    FAISALABAD, July 8th: Power loom workers staged a demonstration on July 7 after a labourer died from electric shocks at a factory there.

    Afzal Ali had worked at a power loom at Sadhar, located in the Thikriwala area.

    After the worker’s death, the demonstrators gathered at Sadhar Bypass Chowk and blocked the road for all kinds of traffic. They placed the body on the road to block the traffic.

    Shafiq Anwar, one of the protesters, said the deceased, Afzal Ali, a father of four children, had been a resident of chak 67-JB.

    “He was working at the power loom factory where when he touched a short-circuited machine,” Anwar said.

    Anwar said the accident was a result of the negligence of the factor owner, who had not installed safety devices.

    “All factory owners are legally bound to install circuit breakers to stop such incidents from occurring, but some of them try to avoid the expense,” Anwar said.

    The protesters chanted slogans against the factory owner and held him responsible for the worker’s death.

    A police contingent, headed by a DSP, visited the area and negotiated with the protesters. The protesters dispersed after they were assured that legal action would be taken against the factory administration.

    Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2014.

  • Brilliant victory of the hot rolling steel workers on the third day of their hunger strike

    Brilliant victory of the hot rolling steel workers on the third day of their hunger strike: the owners give written promise to implement the agreement in toto
    Factory Workers form factory committees for ensuring the implementation of the agreement
    The struggle of the hot rolling steel workers completed one month today and it was also the third day of their relay hunger strike. It was today itself that the workers secured their third victory. As you know, after 22-day long strike of the hot rolling steel workers, the owners were forced to compromise on June 27 and June 28 when they gave in writing to abide by all the labour laws. But they backtracked from the agreement the next day. Consequently the workers’ movement continued. The workers used to go to the factory gates daily till 4 July. When the owners did not open the factories for implementing the agreement, the workers even went on to occupy the factory gates. Meanwhile the police arrested the members of ‘Garam Rolla Mazdoor Ekta Samiti’ and ‘Bigul Mazdoor Dasta’ twice and the owners even launched an attack through the hired goons, but despite all this the workers got their comrades released and gave fitting reply to the goons as well. The workers commenced their relay hunger strike from 5 July at Raja Park in Wazirpur. The mobilisation of workers was swelling with each passing day and the owners were incapable to run the factories. Today the owners had to respond to the ‘show cause notice’ issued by the labour department. A delegation of ‘Garam Rolla Mazdoor Ekta Samiti’ led by Shivani, Sunny and Raghuraj had also reached the labour department. During the talks, the advocates from the owners side gave in writing that from now on the workers will not be forced to work for 12 hours a day and all the owners will respect the agreement. After this the delegation of the ‘Garam Rolla Mazdoor Ekta Samiti’ returned and broke the hunger strike of the comrades sitting on hunger strike and announced the victory.
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  • मज़दूर आन्दोलन के दमन और मज़दूर हितों पर बढ़ते हमलों के विरोध में प्रदर्शन

    लखनऊ, 6 जुलाई। दिल्ली के वज़ीरपुर में एक महीने से जारी स्टील मज़दूरों के आन्दोलन को कुचलने के प्रयासों तथा देशभर में मज़दूरों-कर्मचारियों के अधिकारों पर बढ़ते हमलों के विरोध में आज यहाँ विभिन्न जनसंगठनों ने प्रदर्शन किया। लगातार होती बारिश के बावजूद जागरूक नागरिक मंच, बिगुल मज़दूर दस्ता, स्त्री मुक्ति लीग, नई दिशा छात्र …

  • Australia continues regressive policies on refugees

    The Australian government has been accused of intercepting a boat of 153 Tamil asylum seekers, and handing them over to the Sri Lankan navy without processing their claims. According to relatives, at least 11 asylum seekers on board the boat are fleeing Sri Lanka because of torture. They fear further torture, imprisonment or death if they are returned. Australia’s actions are the latest in a long series of repressive policies against asylum seekers and refugees. But Australia is not the only country turning away asylum seekers.  The United States is detaining refugees, mostly children, from Central America fleeing drug cartel and gang violence. Refugees are used by governments such as Australia and the US to ferment racism and to divide workers.  Only through co-ordinated international working class action will we be able to defeat the racism that drives anti-refugee policies.
    Open the Borders!
    Free the Refugees!

  • Migrant workers stranded in war-torn Iraq

    Thousands of migrant workers from South Asia are stuck in Iraq, without work but unable to return home. Many of the workers want to flee the renewed sectarian fighting, but their employers withhold their passports. In at least one case, migrant construction workers went on strike in the city of Hilla to demand that their employer return their passports so they could travel back to India.

  • Striking Indian steel workers hold strong against police repression

    Workers from 23 steel factories in the Wazirpul industrial zone near Delhi are still fighting for employers to honour the agreement reached after a 3-week strike in June. Now local police are colluding with employers to try and force workers back to work. Workers responded by rallying outside the labour department, which issued a notice against employers for not implementing the agreement. For rapid updates on the situation, check out the facebook page and blog.

  • Mass pro democracy rally in Hong Kong leads to many arrests

    This year, the 1st of July commemorations attracted over 500,000 demonstrators. The 1 July protest is held each year in Hong Kong to mark the anniversary of the former British colony’s return to mainland control in 1997. About 500 people were arrested, and most have been released on bail. The size and energy of the demonstrations are a result of the uncertainty people feel about the process of nominating candidates for chief executive in the 2017 election. Chief Executive is the top post in the Hong Kong government. The financial and commercial hub of Hong Kong is a vital economic area for China and these protests come amid increasing protests by workers both in Hong Kong and the mainland. While independent unionists get jailed regularly, their commitment continues.

  • Over Half a Million Rally in Hong Kong Against Chinese Rule

    Organizers say 510,000 people rallied for full democracy on the streets of Hong Kong Island today. Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, with the promise of eventual universal suffrage. Until now, its chief executives — the top leadership post in Hong Kong — have been chosen by a largely pro-Beijing committee. A group of

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  • Daily-wage teachers paid salaries after five months

    ISLAMABAD, July 1: The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) on June 30 released the salaries of 1,358 daily-wage teachers stuck up for five months.

    It is for the first time that Rs44 million have been paid to the teachers through the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR). Previously, the salaries of the daily wage teachers were paid from the monthly student fund.

    However, on November 20, 2013, in pursuance of Article 25-A (which guarantees free education for every child) CADD abolished all kinds of fees, charges, student funds and expenses.

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  • Two coal miners die in Jhimpir

    THATTA, July 1: Two miners were killed in a coal mine which caved in accidentally on June30 at the mining zone of Yaqoob Brohi village near Jhimpir, locals and officials said.

    They said that around two dozen workers were busy digging coal when a wall of the mine collapsed and the miners got trapped inside.

    The manager of the Lucky coal mine, Nazar Jakhro, told Dawn that two miners — Khamoon Khaskheli and Khamiso Khaskheli — died on the spot.

    However, the others managed to come out of the mine. Two more workers — Bahadur Jakhro and Manzoor Khaskheli — suffered serious injuries when the trapped workers ran for safety. They were dragged out of the mine in a critical condition and were rushed to a Hyderabad hospital, he added.

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