Workers' struggles in East Asia (December 2011)

This month there has been news from Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. Signifcantly there has been both a wave of strikes and a number of land protests building simultaneously - these have continued into the first week of 2012 (though not covered here).

The most important stories:

Cambodia 1: Garment workers strike at big brand supplier (link 1) (link 2)
Cambodia 11: Fiery start for new union at factory (link 1)
Cambodia 20: After protests outside labour ministry factory owners agrees to negotiations with union representing footwear workers (link 1)
Cambodia 20: Garment worker strike ends after failed bonus bid (link 1)
Cambodia 24: Unions threaten strikes over short-term contracts (link 1)
China 3: Hundreds strike at Singapore-owned plant in China (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
China 5: Workers Strike in Shanghai Factory Enters Sixth Day (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
China 7: Pepsi\'s offer fails to satisfy angry workers (link 1)
China 7: Hundreds of workers strike at Shenzhen factory (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10)
China 8: China unrest spreads to bamboo furniture factory (link 1)
China 10: Sit-in strike by Hitachi workers in Shenzhen (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
China 12: Strike continues at south China factory (link 1) (link 2)
China 12: Land Protester Dies Amid Clashes (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
China 15: Thousands Mourn Land Protester (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
China 19: Villagers Defy Threat of Force (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
China 21: Guangdong Villagers Win Concessions (link 1)
China 23:
Violent protest against power plant in another South China town (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
China 23: Dongguan workers stage 24/7 sit-in outside bankrupt factorys gates demanding fair compensation (link 1)
China 28: 8000 Workers on Strike at LG Nanjing Factory to Protest Racial Discrimination in Year-End Bonuses (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
China 30: Workers on Strike at Auto Parts Factory in Guangzhou over Bonus Reduction (link 1)
Indonesia 6: Striking Workers Threaten to burn PT Micro Garment factory, win (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Indonesia 10: Freeport Workers to Extend Strike for Fourth Month (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10)
Indonesia 13: Freeport Indonesia union to sign deal, end strike with 37% wage increase (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
Indonesia 19: Workers protest sacking of two colleagues (link 1)
Indonesia 23: Crippling Strike at Freeport\'s Papua Mine Not Over: Police (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
Indonesia 25: Two protesters killed by police during protests against mining at port (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)

All reports ordered by country and date:

-WSWS Asia

3: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
10: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
17: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
24: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
31: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)

Burma/Myanmar

2: Factory workers test labour freedoms (link 1)

Cambodia

1: Garment workers strike at big brand supplier (link 1) (link 2)
3: Women hotel workers in Cambodia fight illegal mass firings (link 1)
6: Fainting factory dispute mediation over violations of labour law (link 1)
7: Koh Kong protest heats up (link 1)
11: Labour talks: Union, M&V sew up deal (link 1)
11: Fiery start for new union at factory (link 1)
20: After protests outside labour ministry factory owners agrees to negotiations with union representing footwear workers (link 1)
20: Garment worker strike ends after failed bonus bid (link 1)
21: Unions rally against short-term contracts (link 1)
24: Unions threaten strikes over short-term contracts (link 1)
26: Unions seek changes to labour law (link 1)
29: Garment workers\' long struggle with short-term contracts (link 1)
30: Unions push for solidarity and an end to fragmented labour movement (link 1)

China

3: Hundreds strike at Singapore-owned plant in China (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
4: China Leader Warns About Unrest Due to Economy (link 1)
5: Mass Anger Over Girl\'s Death (link 1)
5: \'Thousands\' in Land Protest (link 1)
5: Workers Strike in Shanghai Factory Enters Sixth Day (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
6: Strike action shows broad range of worker dissatisfaction in China (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
6: The HKCTU Supports Migrant Workers Seeking Hong Kong Permanent Resident Status (link 1)
6: Suicide Attempts Over Property Grab (link 1)
7: Pepsi\'s offer fails to satisfy angry workers (link 1)
7: Hundreds of workers strike at Shenzhen factory (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10)
8: Security Tight In Guangdong Village (link 1)
8: Postcards For Jailed Dissidents (link 1)
8: The Global Crisis Reaches China: Unrest Spreads as Growth Stalls (link 1)
8: China unrest spreads to bamboo furniture factory (link 1)
9: Update: Shanghai and Shenzhen Strikes Continue (link 1)
10: Sit-in strike by Hitachi workers in Shenzhen (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
12: Strike continues at south China factory (link 1) (link 2)
12: Land Protester Dies Amid Clashes (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
15: Mapping labour unrest across China (link 1)
15: Thousands Mourn Land Protester (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
19: Hundreds of foreign workers march on Int\'l Migrants Day to fight for employment rights and against discrimination (link 1)
19: Villagers Defy Threat of Force (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
20: Local party leader who won plaudits for labour reforms now tested by village protests (link 1)
20: Unrest Spreads In Southern China (link 1)
21: Heilongjiang railway worker takes on his own trade union (link 1)
21: Guangdong Villagers Win Concessions (link 1)
23:
Violent protest against power plant in another South China town (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
23: Dongguan workers stage 24/7 sit-in outside bankrupt factorys gates demanding fair compensation (link 1)
28: Quake Parents Plan March (link 1)
28: 8000 Workers on Strike at LG Nanjing Factory to Protest Racial Discrimination in Year-End Bonuses (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
30: Workers on Strike at Auto Parts Factory in Guangzhou over Bonus Reduction (link 1)

Indonesia

4: As country strikes it rich, workers start to strike (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
6: Striking Workers Threaten to burn PT Micro Garment factory, win (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
10: Freeport Workers to Extend Strike for Fourth Month (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10)
11: Workers rally for human rights justices (link 1)
13: Freeport Indonesia union to sign deal, end strike with 37% wage increase (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
17: As Indonesia Grows, Discontent Sets in Among Workers (link 1) (link 2)
19: Security Concerns Prevent Grasberg Miners from Work Return (link 1) (link 2)
19: Workers protest sacking of two colleagues (link 1)
23: Crippling Strike at Freeport\'s Papua Mine Not Over: Police (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
25: Two protesters killed by police during protests against mining at port (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
26: Freeport Indonesia workers end strike: union (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
28: Pressure builds to settle Freeport dispute - contractor threatens to sack workers who struck (link 1)
28: Nestle\'s end of year lottery - on the wrong shift? OK then \'you\'re fired\' (link 1)
29: Tangerang workers block Tangerang â Merak toll road (link 1)

Mongolia

17: Striking teachers, Government still negotiating (link 1)

Philippines

6: Toyota PH workers take fight to Japan (link 1)
8: PALEA takes fight to Australia and Canada (link 1)
10: Another labor feud looming in Clark over pay, benefits (link 1)
17: Filipino shipyard workers at Korean-owned Hanjin are fighting back against a deadly safety record (link 1)

Taiwan

12: Protesters urge better protections for migrant workers (link 1)

Thailand

20: After Floods Recede, Thai Unions Rally around Migrant Workers (link 1)
21: KFC Thailand Union Activists Reinstated (link 1)
21: Courts face heavy load of pay disputes (link 1)