Workers' struggles in East Asia (January 2014)

This month there has been news from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. This month I haven't provided my own summaries or filtered articles for some countries.

For reports of workers struggles in Mandarin, as usual I urge you to check Jasmine Revolution and JTTP.cn with the help of a translator website if you need it.

The most important stories:

Burma/Myanmar 17: Protesting Textile Workers Seek Return of Govt Hand at Privatized Factory (link 1)
Cambodia 1: Strike and protests by garment workers for higher minimum wage continues (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12) (link 13) (link 14) (link 15) (link 16) (link 17) (link 18) (link 19) (link 20) (link 21) (link 22) (link 23) (link 24) (link 25) (link 26) (link 27) (link 28) (link 29) (link 30) (link 31) (link 32) (link 33) (link 34) (link 35) (link 36) (link 37) (link 38) (link 39) (link 40) (link 41) (link 42) (link 43) (link 44) (link 45) (link 46) (link 47) (link 48) (link 49) (link 50) (link 51)
Cambodia 16: Strike for strike pay at Quint Major Industrial garment factory in Kandal province (link 1)
Cambodia 17: Strike for strike pay at garment factory in Phnom Penh (link 1)
Cambodia 24: Strike to demand strike pay at I-Cheng (Cambodia) Cooperation in Takeo province (link 1)
Cambodia 29: Strike and protest by workers for reinstatement of coworkers fired for organising a union at Dongdu Textile garment factory in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
China 15: Strike over conditions, unpaid social security and management violence at Doo Jung cosmetic brush factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong (link 1)
China 19: Protest by domestic workers against violence from employers in Hong Kong (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Philippines 11: Protest against office closure by call centre workers in Cebu (link 1)
Vietnam 23: Strike for New Years bonuses and seniority allowances at Phuong Dong Seafood Limited Company and Thien Ma Seafood Processing Co. in Can Tho (link 1)

All reports ordered by country and date:

-Analysis

7: It's strike season in China, and this year it could be a doozie (link 1)

Burma/Myanmar

6: Protest against restrictive laws in Yangon (link 1) (link 2)
7: Protest by journalists against jailing of colleague in Yangon (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
11: Protest in support of compensation for land seized for copper mine projects in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region (link 1)
14: Myeik residents protest coal plant plans (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
16: Demonstration against officials staged in Sagaing Region (link 1)
17: Protesting Textile Workers Seek Return of Govt Hand at Privatized Factory (link 1)
18: Farmers Travel to Rangoon to Decry Land Seizures, Trespassing Charges (link 1) (link 2)

Cambodia

1: Strike and protests by garment workers for higher minimum wage continues (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12) (link 13) (link 14) (link 15) (link 16) (link 17) (link 18) (link 19) (link 20) (link 21) (link 22) (link 23) (link 24) (link 25) (link 26) (link 27) (link 28) (link 29) (link 30) (link 31) (link 32) (link 33) (link 34) (link 35) (link 36) (link 37) (link 38) (link 39) (link 40) (link 41) (link 42) (link 43) (link 44) (link 45) (link 46) (link 47) (link 48) (link 49) (link 50) (link 51)
7: Strike by teachers for higher wages (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
14: Free Trade Union Reports Overall Jump in Labor Strikes in 2013 (link 1)
16: Strike for strike pay at Quint Major Industrial garment factory in Kandal province (link 1)
17: Strike for strike pay at garment factory in Phnom Penh (link 1)
19: Protest to free arrested workers in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
21: Protest to free arrested workers in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
22: Protest to commemorate assassinated union leader's death and against violence against workers in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
24: Protest to free arrested workers in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)
24: Strike to demand strike pay at I-Cheng (Cambodia) Cooperation in Takeo province (link 1)
26: Protest by garment workers for release of arrested activists and higher minimum wage in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
27: Protest against refusal to grant licence to independent broadcaster in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
29: Strike and protest by workers for reinstatement of coworkers fired for organising a union at Dongdu Textile garment factory in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2)

China

1: Protest against Beijing rule in Hong Kong (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
6: Protest by petitioners for officials to address grievance in Wuhan, Hubei (link 1)
10: Protest against tunnel digging in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan (link 1)
14: Protest against forced demolitions in Hangzhou (link 1)
14: Protest by herders over leasing of grassland in Urad Middle Banner, Inner Mongolia (link 1) (link 2)
15: Strike over conditions, unpaid social security and management violence at Doo Jung cosmetic brush factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong (link 1)
19: Protest by domestic workers against violence from employers in Hong Kong (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
22: Protest against land seizure near Quanzhou, Fujian (link 1) (link 2)
25: Protest by migrant workers against abuse by employers in Hong Kong (link 1) (link 2)
27: Protest by residents against planned waste plant in Jinzao, Guangdong (link 1)
31: Protest and mass jail breakout by petitioners over treatment in Beijing (link 1)

Indonesia

23: Protest by workers for right to organise at Grand Q Hotel in Gorontalo (link 1)
24: Protest by laid-off workers for reinstatement at detergent producer PT Sinar Antjol in Manis Industrial Estate in Curug, Tangerang (link 1) (link 2)

Japan

14: Anti-nuclear sit-in protest marks 1000 days in Kyushu (link 1)
23: Teachers tread water in eikaiwa limbo (link 1)
30: Toyota Labor Union Seeks Salary Increase Amid Surge in Profit (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)

Laos

23: Lao Rice Farmers Defy Police Orders to Give Up Land to Chinese Firm (link 1)

Malaysia

4: Protest by journalists against suspension of magazine in Kuala Lumpur (link 1) (link 2)
12: 200 Nepali workers protest over death of three countrymen (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
26: 'TURUN-KANGKUNG' PROTEST: Despite Umno threats (link 1) (link 2)
30: Anti-dam blockades in Malaysia reach day 100! (link 1) (link 2)

Philippines

8: 'Yolanda' survivors hold protest, demand more assistance (link 1)
10: Protest in solidarity with Cambodian and Korean strikers at Korean embassy in Manila (link 1)
11: Protest against office closure by call centre workers in Cebu (link 1)
13: Call center workers protest illegal closure (link 1) (link 2)
14: Closed bus firm pays workers (link 1)
18: Against power rate hike, workers, youth call for Jan. 21 Blackout Protest (link 1)
29: Protest by banana plantation workers for unpaid wages in Compostela (link 1)

Singapore

27: Singapore Hit by Protests Over Rising Fare Hikes (link 1)

South Korea

7: Strikes and protests by workers over short contracts at Homeplus supermarkets (link 1)
8: South Korea Rail Workers Strike against Privatization (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
11: Protest in solidarity with Cambodian strikers in Seoul (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)

Taiwan

17: Protest by farmers from Zhubei, Xinchu County against land expropriation in Taipei (link 1)
18: Protests erupt around Taiwan over eTag (link 1) (link 2)
27: Police break up protest by former Hualon employees (link 1)

Vietnam

9: Protest by construction workers against security guard violence at Samsung factory construction site in Thai Nguyen (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10)
10: Protest for compensation from hydropower plant for damaging homes in Ninh Thuan (link 1)
23: Strike for New Years bonuses and seniority allowances at Phuong Dong Seafood Limited Company and Thien Ma Seafood Processing Co. in Can Tho (link 1)