South Korea
Workers' struggles in Asia (February 2010 Part 2)
Summary and links to news stories of workers' struggles around Asia (excluding mainland China and Hong Kong) in February from the 11th to the 28th.
Sorted by country in alphabetical order.
Indonesia
14th: Activist demand prtoection for domestic workers.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/14/activists-demand-domestic-worker-law.html
23rd: Teachers strike in Central Java.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/23/teachers-strike-central-java-regency.html
Myanmar:
Workers' struggles in Asia (February 2010 Part 1)
Summary and links to news stories of workers' struggles around Asia (excluding mainland China and Hong Kong) in February up to the 10th.
Sorted by country in alphabetical order.
Cambodia
8th: Villagers protest against electricity rate hikes.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010020831737/National-news/villagers-threaten-to-continue-protests-against-electricity-rates.html
10th: Tv workers to strike.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010021031859/National-news/apsara-tv-staff-to-strike.html
Workers' struggles in Asia (January 2010 Part 2)
Summary and links to news stories of workers' struggles around Asia (excluding mainland China and Hong Kong) in the last half of January.
Sorted by country in alphabetical order.
Cambodia
25th: A union plans demonstrations and strikes over the murder of one of their leaders was killed.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010012531034/National-news/chea-mony-strike-must-follow-the-law-ministry.html
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1162315&lang=eng_news
General Perspectives on the Capitalist Development State and Class Struggle in East Asia
American left communist Loren Goldner on the capitalist development of east Asia, working class struggle, and the development of revolutionary politics in the region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Published in 2009.
…in China as in Japan, the writings of the young Marx that laid the foundation for Marx’s uncompromising critique of the state were conspicuously absent…Marxism was scientific socialism as systematized by Engels and then by Stalin, even as Stalin was seeking not to eliminate but to build a powerful Russian nation-state after the revolution.”
Workers' struggles in Asia (January 2010)
Summary and links to news stories of workers' struggles around Asia (exluding mainland China) in the first month of the decade (as of the 16th of January).
Sorted by country in alphabetical order.
Cambodia
Workers at a shoe factory walk out over sacking of union officials.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010011430831/National-news/workers-at-shoe-factory-pledge-to-extend-protest-against-firings.html
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010011530872/National-news/shoe-factory-protesters-turn-up-heat.html
Hong Kong
1930-present: Labour unrest and the successive geographical restructuring of the world automobile industry
Beverly Silver traces the growth of workers power in the auto industry and the resultant outsourcing of industry to lower wage areas of the globe, where workers organised again and fought for better conditions, effectively spreading a militant workers' movement across the globe.
INTRODUCTION
Workers' struggles around Asia (October 2009)
A round-up of links to reports about workers' struggles in Cambodia, Korea and Thailand.
I apologise for not being as thorough as usual, but my PC was stolen last month, I was without internet for two weeks, and tomorrow I'm going on holiday. Hopefully I can go back to normal in December, here's what I've found over the last couple of week:s
Interesting article on labour rights NGOs trying to use corporate social responsibility programs.
Ssangyong occupier jailed
A union member from Ssangyong Motors involved in the strike and occupation of the plant against job losses was sentenced to one and a half years in prison on Friday.
The defendant, identified only by his surname Kim, was tried as one of the ringleaders of the occupation of the company's Pyeongtaek factory.
The Suwon District Court convicted Kim of incurring 2.29 billion won (1.96 million USD) in damages to the automaker and destroying 10 million won worth of office furniture.
Workers' struggles around Asia (September 2009)
A round-up of links to reports about workers' struggles around Asia (excluding China). Updated 1/10/2009.
This month where has been news from Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and far eastern Russia. And now additional news courtesy of Welt in Umwaelzung (listed first).
Indonesia
Ssangyong motors strike in South Korea ends in defeat and heavy repression
Loren Goldner's analysis and overview of the defeated strike and occupation of the Ssangyong Motors plant against job cuts.
The Ssangyong Motor Company strike and plant occupation in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, ended after 77 days on Aug. 5. For the 976 workers who seized the small auto plant on May 22 and held it against repeated quasi-military assault, the settlement signed by Ssangyong court receivership manager Park Young-tae and local union president Han Sang-kyun represented a near-total defeat.
