Asia
Chinese villagers riot over land grab
Up to ten thousand Chinese villagers blockaded a warehouse in the village of Sanzhou in the southern province of Guangdong last week, claiming it had been built on land seized illegally by the Chinese government.
The villagers barricaded around 300 officials and foreign businessmen in the warehouse during its official opening, and were attacked by up to 1,000 riot police using batons, attack dogs and tear gas, holding the building overnight until they were dispersed in the morning.
Cambodia: Garment worker shot
A 24-year old mother was shot in the back by Cambodian police during a protest at the Bright Sky factory last week.
Workers at the factory were protesting over new short-term work contracts, when management called the police. A large number of police armed with AK47s marched into the crowd, firing shots into the air, shooting a woman in the back as she tried to escape. Around 16 workers, members of the FTUWKC union, have been arrested since the protest.
Repression of Korean civil servants continues
The repression of the Korean Government Employees Union (KGEU) continues, with 125 out of the union's 251 local offices now shut down, often welded shut with iron bars and plates.
The Korean government declared the 140,000 member union illegal, after it refused to register under new union legislation curbing rights to strike and recruit. From September 22nd, the security services have been shutting down union offices and attacking members.
More strikes and riots in Bangladesh - garment workers take the offensive again!
Seven garment factories were severely damaged, while bosses claimed 100 other factories were vandalised; three shopping malls and 50 vehicles were also attacked on Tuesday (10th Oct) as thousands of striking garment workers fought pitched battles with the police and factory security forces in and around the capital, Dhaka. Over 100 people were injured in the clashes.
[Picture; rioters attack police van.]
China's emerging labour movement
A look at the burgeoning workers' movement in China and how it is attempting to organise in a country where the only union is run by the state.
Trade unionists in the US and elsewhere have long argued that there is no labor movement in China. They rightly point out that Chinese workers lack even the most basic human rights protections, including the rights to strike and join an independent union.
The Depression and the liberation of Kamagasaki (1973-1978)
A pamphlet in Japanese and English about the Kamagasaki area of Osaka.
This pamphlet is presented in PDF format (56mb). We'd welcome OCRed versions of this pamphlet for dial-up and low-bandwidth users in either Japanese and English.
Korean hotel workers illegally outsourced
Workers at the Renaissance Hotel in Seoul wage an important struggle against outsourcing.
A determined group of hotel workers in Korea - 13 women and 2 men - are waging a critical battle against outsourcing.
Korean riot police raid union building
This morning, riot police broke through barricades that had been raised by union members and raided the offices of a South Korean trade union.
Following the crack down of the KGEU [Korean Government Employees' Union] Gangwon Hwacheon Chapter offices on October 2, today saw more attacks on the chapter of KGEU Gangwon Regional Branch. Today is a national holiday, the National Foundation Day of Korea.
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More energy riots - electrickery in Bangladesh
Two hundred people, including police, were injured in Bangladesh as more riots and demonstrations have erupted in protest against regular interruptions to electricity supplies.
The nineteen hours of violent clashes began yesterday evening (Wednesday 27th).
