Workers' struggles in East Asia (February 2014)

Migrant workers protest for increased rights and minimum wage in Taipei, Taiwan
Migrant workers protest for increased rights and minimum wage in Taipei, Taiwan

Summary and links to news stories of workers' struggles around East Asia during February 2014 and related resources. The most important stories appear on my Twitter feed as soon as I find them: http://twitter.com/spartacusnews.

Submitted by Spartacus on March 8, 2014

This month there has been news from Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The most important stories:

Cambodia 6: Strike by sanitation workers against union pay deal in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
Cambodia 10: Hunger strike and protest for release of arrested workers in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
Cambodia 24: Overtime boycott by garment workers for higher minimum wage (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Cambodia 24: Strike over working conditions and pay by garment workers at Yu Da Garment Industry (Cambodia) Co., Ltd in Phnom Penh (link 1)
China 19: Striking ship workers in Shandong get police escort to government headquarters (link 1)
South Korea 25: Strike against oppression of workers (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)

All reports ordered by country and date:

-Analysis

20: Searching for the Union: The workers� movement in China 2011-13 (link 1) (link 2)

Burma/Myanmar

3: Residents protest against Tamwe housing project (link 1)
12: Cross-country march to protest Myitsone (link 1)
15: Pegu farmers injured in police crackdown (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
16: Riot breaks out in Pyinmana police station (link 1)
21: Tenasserim villagers protest military land grab (link 1)
21: Shoe factory workers strike against low wages (link 1)
25: Hundreds join protest against big oil and gas in Kanbauk (link 1)
27: Moehti Moemi miners bring protest to Rangoon (link 1)

Cambodia

6: Strike by sanitation workers against union pay deal in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
10: Koh Kong Villagers Halt Protest Against UDG (link 1) (link 2)
10: Hunger strike and protest for release of arrested workers in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
12: Government aligned union two week strike quietly ended with re-instatement of 11 union leaders (link 1) (link 2)
13: Unions Plan 2nd Round of Mass Strikes (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
13: No End in Sight to Garment Strike Over Bonus Pay (link 1)
19: Protests, Strikes Continue in Cambodia (link 1)
20: 842 protests, strikes occur in 2013: Ministry (link 1)
22: Beverage Union Finds No Recognition at Labor Ministry (link 1)
24: Overtime boycott by garment workers for higher minimum wage (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
24: Strike over working conditions and pay by garment workers at Yu Da Garment Industry (Cambodia) Co., Ltd in Phnom Penh (link 1)
26: As Workers Boycott Overtime, CPP Goes on Counteroffensive (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
26: Medical Staff Protest Phnom Penh Hospital Swap (link 1) (link 2)

China

3: Woman Injured in Clashes at Beijing Detention Center (link 1)
4: Strike over New Years Bonus by workers at Sands Casino in Macau (link 1) (link 2)
12: Villagers in southwestern China arrested for attacking factory, police station over ... (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
12: Hong Kong migrant workers: Time to organise! (link 1)
12: Strike over bonuses at Hainan Yedao Liquor, Hainan (link 1)
13: Promised pay rise ends 1000-strong Guangzhou strike (link 1) (link 2)
16: Protest against corruption in Junan, Foshan, Guangdong (link 1)
18: Trial of labour activist Wu Guijun eventually gets underway in Shenzhen (link 1) (link 2)
18: Refugees take protests to ISS-HK head office (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
19: Striking ship workers in Shandong get police escort to government headquarters (link 1)
23: Strike over unpaid wages by workers at Yangzhuang coal mine in Feicheng, Shandong (link 1) (link 2)
23: Thousands protest for press freedoms in Hong Kong (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
27: Hong Kong refugees start new occupation (link 1)

Indonesia

10: Strikes for permanent status and benefits in Taremba, Riau, Belawan near Medan, North Sumatra and Tangerang, Java (link 1) (link 2)
11: Former water firm workers stage rally for jobs (link 1)
12: Strikes for higher wages in Jakartam Sukabumi and Tangerang, Java (link 1) (link 2)
13: Workers protest outsourcing (link 1)
13: Strike by workers at PT Foster in Batam (link 1)
17: Strike at PT Reckitt Benckiser Indonesia in Demak (link 1) (link 2)
19: Pindo Deli Paper Workers Union Plan to Strike (link 1)
19: Uprising against illegal mining in Indonesia pits villagers against miners, police (link 1)
20: Protests and strikes in Gresik, Jakarta, Batam and Rembang, Java (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
26: Save Jobs, Save the Future: NO to job destruction in Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia (link 1)
28: PLN urged to pay employees' salaries (link 1)

Japan

12: Okinawans protest against US military base relocation as Ambassador Kennedy ... (link 1) (link 2)
16: Japanese unions gearing for rare showdown over pay rises (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12)

Mongolia

7: Goldman Prizewinner Gets 21 Years for Resistance to Genocide (link 1)

Philippines

7: Philippine typhoon survivors stage protests (link 1) (link 2)
7: Group stages fluvial protest vs. no build zone policy (link 1)
11: Militant farmers penetrate Palace premises, protest slow CARP implementation (link 1) (link 2)
19: TV5 employees get P3,000 wage hike (link 1)
25: Anti-Obama Protesters in Manila Clash With Police (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)

Singapore

9: Shipyard workers talked out of strike by advocacy group (link 1)

South Korea

7: South Korea court invalidates Mahindra's Ssangyong layoffs (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
11: KCTU, KFTU... in solidarity with Cambodian workers (link 1)
25: Strike against oppression of workers (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)

Taiwan

4: Workers' alliance vows to keep up fight for owed pay (link 1)
10: Pinay, Indonesian workers in Taiwan call for days off, higher salaries (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)

Vietnam

13: 'Thugs' fire on farmers in Vietnam land dispute (link 1) (link 2)
24: Strike over unpaid wages at World Tec Vina in Binh Phuoc (link 1)

Comments

vicent

10 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by vicent on March 10, 2014

it seems as though Cambodia has a highly disproportionate amount of struggle. Why is this the case?

ajjohnstone

9 years 12 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ajjohnstone on March 27, 2014

i have written up a report on a lock-out and now strike by Toyota car-workers in Bangalore, India, that can be read here on an Indian based website.

http://www.countercurrents.org/johnstone250314.htm

Nothing profound, just a general report and a bit background. No usual SPGB closing sentence - if only workers were class conscious and we had socialism ;-p

Still not resolved and management using contract workers and office staff to scab