Workers' struggles in East Asia (March 2014)

This month there has been news from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The most important stories:

Cambodia 18: Wing Star workers walk out, Demand Bonus Increase (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
China 4: Chinese IBM workers erupt in protests over layoffs, Lenovo deal (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)
China 5: Strike by hospital workers over unpaid wages in Anyang, Henan
Strikes against sacking and wage reductions by workers at Pepsi in several cities including Changchun, Chongqing, Xian, Lanzhou.
Strike for higher allowances at Foxconn in Tianjin (link 1) (link 2)
China 6: Strike against plan to relocate factory at Sandakan Industrial and protest against police brutality in Dongguan, Guangdong (link 1) (link 2)
Indonesia 25: Strike against firing of co-workers at PT Pindo Deli paper factory in Karawang (link 1) (link 2)
Vietnam 17: Workers of Korean company stop working for strike issues (link 1) (link 2)

All reports ordered by country and date:

Cambodia

4: Workers "locked inside" during overtime strike (link 1) (link 2)
6: Palm oil plantation workers strike over pay owing (link 1)
9: Union activists end rally after banned from entering Freedom Park (link 1) (link 2)
11: Strike may be shifted to post-holiday date (link 1) (link 2)
13: Strike Action to Back Higher Pay For Garment Workers Loses Steam (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
14: Protest against dam in Areng Valley, Koh Kong (link 1)
18: Wing Star workers walk out, Demand Bonus Increase (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
27: Unions to lead holiday strike (link 1)
31: Opposition Grows to Laos' Mega Dams Ahead of Summit (link 1) (link 2)
31: Cambodian protesters, police clash at Beehive Radio Protest (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)

China

2: Attack on Hong Kong Journalist Prompts March for Press Freedom (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
3: Strike over low wages at Chuan Heller Footwear factory in Heyuan, Guangdong (link 1) (link 2)
4: Old Guard Cadres Come Back for Elections in China's Wukan (link 1)
4: Protest against plan to build battery factory in Nanhui, Pudong, Shangha (link 1)
4: Chinese IBM workers erupt in protests over layoffs, Lenovo deal (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)
5: Strike by hospital workers over unpaid wages in Anyang, Henan
Strikes against sacking and wage reductions by workers at Pepsi in several cities including Changchun, Chongqing, Xian, Lanzhou.
Strike for higher allowances at Foxconn in Tianjin (link 1) (link 2)
6: China Outsourcing Smog to West Region Stirs Protest (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
6: Strike against plan to relocate factory at Sandakan Industrial and protest against police brutality in Dongguan, Guangdong (link 1) (link 2)
7: Pepsi workers across China go out on strike with trade union support (link 1)
10: 'We are workers, not slaves!' Hundreds of maids march on Hong Kong ... (link 1) (link 2)
10: 6,000 Chinese workers strike over drastically reduced wages at a Crocs and New Balance factory (link 1) (link 2)
11: Nearly 80 Percent Turn Out in Wukan Vote Amid Concerns Over Ex-Officials (link 1)
13: Chinese Parents Clash With Police in Protest Over Pills (link 1)
14: Wukan protest leader arrested before elections (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
14: Support Hong Kong refugees' struggle (link 1) (link 2)
20: Walmart workers in China blockade store in protest at closure plan (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
23: Hundreds of Tibetans Protest Land Seizure Over Gold Mining Activities (link 1) (link 2)
25: Police Beat, Detain Activists During US First Lady's Trip (link 1) (link 2)
26: Chinese Parents Protest on Streets as Medicine Scandal Spreads (link 1)
26: Wukan protest leader flees China, seeks asylum in U.S., report says (link 1)
28: Walmart workers in Changde stand firm as deadline looms (link 1)
31: Chinese Police Fire Tear Gas in Clashes Over PX Plant in Guangdong (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
31: Workers at Samsung supplier in China win pay hike after strike (link 1) (link 2)
31: Taiwanese students protest China pact in Hong Kong (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
31: Understanding China and its unions (link 1) (link 2)
31: Rebel China village re-elects protest leader in sombre vote (link 1)

Indonesia

3: Protest by farmers against land seizures in Medan, Sumatra (link 1)
4: Batam workers rally over tariff hike plan (link 1)
6: Paper workers striking for fair wages and rights (link 1) (link 2)
13: Strike by mine worker against sackings at PT Sulawesi Mining and PT Bintang Delapan Mineral in Morowali, Sulawesi (link 1)
25: Strike against firing of co-workers at PT Pindo Deli paper factory in Karawang (link 1) (link 2)

Japan

1: Hundreds protest dropped charges over Fukushima crisis (link 1)
6: Tozen Gaba Workers Union in dispute with Gaba (link 1) (link 2)
9: Thousands protest in Japan ahead of Fukushima anniversary (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
13: Japan Unions Get $19-a-Month Raises Amid Abe Wage Push (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
14: Fukushima nuclear workers stage low pay protest against Tepco (link 1)
18: All day dispute action against Gaba (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)

Myanmar

2: Farmers plough grabbed land in protest (link 1)
3: Anti-Copper Mine Protests Renew With a Call to Guardian Spirits (link 1) (link 2)
18: Workers win wage victory in Myanmar (link 1)
21: Thousands to March for Termination of Burma's Myitsone Dam (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
25: Myanmar activists protest against corrupt judges (link 1)
25: Protesters camp out to demand probe into alleged military land grab (link 1)
26: Protestors call to amend constitution in Magway (link 1)
26: Candle Protest Planned Against Impending Electricity Rate Hike (link 1)
27: Michaungkan villagers restart sit-in protest (link 1)
28: Four arrested for Mandalay protests, demonstrations continue in Yangon (link 1)
30: Farmers protest land-grabbing in Pyay (link 1)
31: Police use force to disperse Migyaungkan protests (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)

North Korea

8: Signs of unrest ahead of North Korea elections (link 1)

Philippines

5: Philippines farmers stage Ash Wednesday poverty protest (link 1)
11: Sulu residents plan rally against abductions (link 1)
19: Militants to Meralco: Return overcharge with interest (link 1)
25: Israeli embassy in Manila shuts down as its diplomats go on strike (link 1) (link 2)

South Korea

6: South Korean unions hold token "people's strike" (link 1)
20: Korail shifting around workers in response to strike (link 1)

Taiwan

8: Thousands rally for end to nuclear power in Taiwan (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
11: Ex-freeway toll collectors protest (link 1)
11: Students at NCCU protest exploitation of student workers (link 1)
14: Laid-off workers' loans to be redistributed: premier (link 1)
19: 200 Taiwanese students occupy Parliament to protest China trade deal (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) (link 52) (link 53) (link 54) (link 55) (link 56) (link 57) (link 58) (link 59)
28: Journalists Obstructed as Police Use Force at Taiwan Protest ([url=http://www.ifj.org/services/news-single-view/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[backPid]=50&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=9111&cHash=bb303bd2b44e4cfd882797fc83515029]link 1[/url]) (link 2) (link 3)
30: Large Crowds Fill Taipei Streets in Protest Over China Trade Bill (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
31: Taiwan's Cabinet to Pass China Oversight Bill After Mass Protest (link 1)

Thailand

26: Mae Sot migrants demand labour rights (link 1)
31: THAI ground service staff threaten strike action (link 1)

Vietnam

7: Vietnamese Farmers Demand Tough Action Against Land-Grabbing "Thugs" (link 1)
17: Workers of Korean company stop working for strike issues (link 1) (link 2)