Workers' struggles in East Asia (October 2011)

This month there has been news from Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Most significant have been the ongoing strike at the Freeport copper and gold mine in Indonesia (Freeport's other major mine in South America has also been on strike) and the struggle against outsourcing at Philippine Airlines joining the long list of workers' struggles at airlines around the world at the moment.

The most important stories:

-Analysis 11: Unity is Strength: The Workers� Movement in China 2009-2011 (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 1: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 8: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 15: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 22: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 29: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
Burma/Myanmar 14: Myanmar workers win right to strike (link 1) (link 2)
Burma/Myanmar 27: Police Break Up Rare Protest (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
Cambodia 3: Fainting factory may see strike (link 1)
Cambodia 10: Workers at Cambodia fainting factory go on strike (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Cambodia 15: Skirmish as factory strike continues (link 1)
Cambodia 15: Factory bows, but strike continues (link 1) (link 2)
China 5: Chinese Farmers Seize Excavators to Protest Forced Eviction (link 1)
China 7: Taxi drivers in Xiamen go on strike over high rental fees (link 1) (link 2)
China 10: Hong Kong: Protest against racism (link 1)
China 11: Strikes & Protests Surge in China (link 1)
China 12: Getting the boss to talk � worker activists initiate collective bargaining at Shenzhen factory (link 1)
China 17: Suzhou Residents Protest Gas Emissions (link 1)
China 19: Migrants, police clash over traffic accident in southeast China (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
China 23: Workers at Citizen's China factory on strike over pay (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
China 24: Hong Kong group reports people-police clashes in northwest, southeast China (link 1)
China 26: Fears over flights as workers threaten action (link 1) (link 2)
China 27: Anti-gov't riot erupts in eastern China over tax hike (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)
China 30: Drunk Chinese Police Chief Kills at Least Five, Causing Riot (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
Indonesia 3: Hundreds of mudflow victims halt Lapindo activities (link 1)
Indonesia 4: Sex workers rally in Yogya, call on govt to stem spread of HIV/AIDS (link 1)
Indonesia 7: Freeport Indonesia's union extends strike for another month (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Indonesia 10: Indonesian forces fire on striking miners; 1 dead (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12)
Indonesia 13: Three dead as gunmen attack Freeport truck (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
Indonesia 15: Striking workers at Freeport�s Indonesia mine lower pay demand to pave way for new negotiation (link 1) (link 2)
Indonesia 17: Pipeline 'Sabotage' Pushes Freeport to Halt Production (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
Indonesia 21: Seven dead in Papua miners' strike (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
Indonesia 28: Police Admit to Receiving Freeport 'Lunch Money' (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
Indonesia 31: Police Prepping to Break Freeport Strike: Union (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Japan 15: Small Protests, Long List of Grievances in Tokyo (link 1)
Malaysia 4: MTUC picket against amendments to Employment Act (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
Malaysia 9: Malaysians protest Australian rare earth plant (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Malaysia 11: Nationwide MTUC picket on Nov 3 over labour law changes (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Malaysia 15: Occupy Protests Spread to Malaysia (link 1)
Philippines 1: PAL abandons talks with union (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
Philippines 4: Radio workers in Davao gear up for strike (link 1)
Philippines 5: 3 unions in Davao Region file strike notice (link 1)
Philippines 5: Protest marks World Teachers' Day in Davao, Cebu (link 1) (link 2)
Philippines 14: PALEA joins Occupy Wall Street Day of Action as international actions for PALEA start (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
Philippines 18: PAL mulls charges vs. strikers (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
South Korea 1: 49 students detained after overnight tuition cut rally (link 1)
South Korea 3: Seoul Immigration vs. Union two weeks (link 1)
South Korea 4: Students, workers from Hanjin arrested in Jeju (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
South Korea 8: Police nab 59 'Hope Bus' protestors (link 1) (link 2)
South Korea 11: Incheon-Seoul bus drivers strike (link 1)
South Korea 28: S Korean police raid anti-FTA protest (link 1) (link 2)
Taiwan 12: Hunger strikes to highlight poverty (link 1)
Taiwan 15: Protesters gather for 'Occupy Taipei 101' (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)

All reports ordered by country and date:

-Analysis

11: Unity is Strength: The Workers� Movement in China 2009-2011 (link 1)

-WSWS Asia

1: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
8: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
15: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
22: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
29: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)

Asia

15: Wall Street Protests Spread Globally as Rome Turns Violent (link 1)
27: Overview of Occupy Southeast Asia · Global Voices (link 1)
27: IUF Asia-Pacific unions give priority to the challenge of precarious employment « Asian Food Worker (link 1)

Burma/Myanmar

2: China be dam(ned), Myanmar suspends collaboration on Irrawaddy project (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
3: �Strike action is not the issue� (link 1)
12: Burma Frees Some Political Prisoners (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
14: Myanmar workers win right to strike (link 1) (link 2)
15: Myanmar Relaxes Media Grip (link 1)
27: Police Break Up Rare Protest (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)

Cambodia

3: Cambodia's activist monk remains defiant despite temple ban (link 1)
3: Fainting factory may see strike (link 1)
5: M&V garment factory to negotiate with union (link 1)
7: Hotel owner stands ground (link 1)
10: Workers at Cambodia fainting factory go on strike (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
15: Skirmish as factory strike continues (link 1)
15: Factory bows, but strike continues (link 1) (link 2)
17: Teachers claim exam graft (link 1)
17: Ban on Cambodian maids to stop violence (link 1) (link 2)
27: Union lands court KO (link 1)
31: Child Labour in a Climate of Violence and Intimidation Towards Union Members (link 1)

China

1: �Rumors are a Cancer that Threatens the Internet and Society� (link 1)
3: The economic imperative for change in the factory of the world (link 1)
3: Campaign Against Secret Detentions (link 1)
3: Foreign maids win landmark Hong Kong residency case (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
3: Chen Campaigners Detained (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
5: Foxconn factory workers talk about factory life in documentary - video (link 1)
5: Chinese Farmers Seize Excavators to Protest Forced Eviction (link 1)
7: Taxi drivers in Xiamen go on strike over high rental fees (link 1) (link 2)
10: Chinese Regime Nervous About Revolution�s Centennial Anniversary (link 1)
10: Hunan Opposition Activist Released (link 1)
10: Hong Kong: Protest against racism (link 1)
11: Anger rise after BYD�s harsh layoff (link 1)
11: Hundreds Protest Candidate Detention (link 1) (link 2)
11: Strikes & Protests Surge in China (link 1)
12: Coverage of CLB's research report on the workers' movement (link 1)
12: Temporary workers in China blamed � for everything | CLB (link 1)
12: Campaign for activist under house arrest (link 1)
12: Shenzhen sweatshop allegations force Gucci to act (link 1)
12: Getting the boss to talk � worker activists initiate collective bargaining at Shenzhen factory (link 1)
13: Foxconn accused of refusing employment to woman because of tuberculosis infection (link 1)
13: Chinese workers have a world role (link 1)
14: Former miners sue county health department over occupational disease (link 1)
15: Workers protest against �redeployment� and demand reelection of the union (link 1)
17: Don't fuel bias against helpers, authorities told (link 1)
17: Workers feel 6pc benefit thanks to minimum wage (link 1)
17: Shenzhen Trade Union initiated investigation on Cucci (link 1)
17: Suzhou Residents Protest Gas Emissions (link 1)
18: Activist Warned Off Foreign Media (link 1)
18: Petitioners Attacked in Detention (link 1)
18: Industrial action in air at Cathay (link 1)
18: PLA soldiers injured in clash with police (link 1)
19: Chinese town under siege as Tibetan monks protest (link 1)
19: Migrants, police clash over traffic accident in southeast China (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
20: Chinese blogger jailed for 'disrupting traffic' fails to have sentence overturned (link 1)
20: Free Chen Guangcheng (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
21: Hong Kong: Why Occupy Central? (link 1)
23: Herdsman's Death Reported to Inspire Protests in Inner Mongolia (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
23: Workers at Citizen's China factory on strike over pay (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
24: Hong Kong group reports people-police clashes in northwest, southeast China (link 1)
25: The �Occupy� Series: Sina Weibo�s New List of Banned Search Terms (Update) (link 1)
25: Inside World�s Economic Engine, Young China Redefines Class Consciousness (link 1)
26: Fears over flights as workers threaten action (link 1) (link 2)
27: Immolation, Explosions and Poetry on the Roof of the World (link 1)
27: Anti-gov't riot erupts in eastern China over tax hike (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)
28: Inner Mongolia: Internet Sites Shut After Human Rights Abuses Rise (link 1) (link 2)
28: Strike at Citizen Watch factory finally ends after agreement is reached (link 1)
28: Chinese Activists Turn To Twitter In Rights Cases (link 1)
29: Unpaid wages in China: Can�t pay, won�t pay (link 1)
30: China land grab disputes spread west, hit new high (link 1)
30: Drunk Chinese Police Chief Kills at Least Five, Causing Riot (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
31: Tax added to 'mass incidents' question (link 1)
31: Lanzhou railway deaths highlight two fundamental issues facing construction workers in China (link 1)
31: 50 Microblogs Shuttered as Web Crackdown Continues (link 1)

Indonesia

1: Freeport, workers haggle over wages (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
3: Hundreds of mudflow victims halt Lapindo activities (link 1)
4: Job Seekers Protest at New Lombok Airport (link 1)
4: Sex workers rally in Yogya, call on govt to stem spread of HIV/AIDS (link 1)
6: KAJS members demonstrate in front of Jakarta bourse (link 1)
7: Freeport Indonesia's union extends strike for another month (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
10: Indonesian forces fire on striking miners; 1 dead (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12)
13: New Freeport recruits violate Labor Law: Minister (link 1)
13: Papua police to ask Freeport manager to meet strikers (link 1)
13: Three dead as gunmen attack Freeport truck (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
14: Violent clash over land erupts in West Jakarta (link 1)
15: Workers threaten to pull funds from Jamsostek over insurance bill (link 1)
15: Striking workers at Freeport�s Indonesia mine lower pay demand to pave way for new negotiation (link 1) (link 2)
17: Freeport: DAP Chairman calls for Police and Army Withdrawal (link 1)
17: Journalists protest over reporter beaten up in Freeport mine clash (link 1)
17: Another Freeport worker involved in recent clash dies (link 1)
17: House to probe Freeport case (link 1)
17: Pipeline 'Sabotage' Pushes Freeport to Halt Production (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
18: Freeport Employees Plead With Govt to Help Solve Conflict (link 1)
20: Freeport�s Cozy Indonesia Govt Ties Not Helping End Strike: Analysis (link 1)
21: Seven dead in Papua miners' strike (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
25: Stop Nespressure! Tell Nestlé to respect trade union rights! (link 1)
26: Railway Workers May Shut Down Java Trains Over Diesel Fuel Price (link 1)
27: Impact of Papua mine industrial action will be minor if resolved quickly says analyst (link 1)
27: Growing level of industrial action at mines like Freeport�s in Papua, says analyst (link 1)
27: Jakarta group calls for nationalisation of US Freeport mine in Papua (link 1)
28: Indonesia's Freeport copper mine declares force majeure (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
28: Protest of Killings of Indonesian Mine Workers (link 1)
28: Freeport dispute galvanises Papuan and non-Papuan employees (link 1)
28: Police Admit to Receiving Freeport 'Lunch Money' (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
30: Freeport Indonesia negotiations continue (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
31: Freeport�s Workers Unafraid of Police Ultimatum (link 1)
31: Police Prepping to Break Freeport Strike: Union (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)

Japan

1: Cuts in govt worker pay must be as deep as possible (link 1)
1: Borderlink ALTs Unionized (link 1)
2: Japan's leaders still don't get it � but whither that 'heretical' 1960s spirit? (link 1)
5: Labor group Rengo shifts to antinuclear policy (link 1)
15: Small Protests, Long List of Grievances in Tokyo (link 1)
26: Japanese farmers protest against possible trade pact (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)

Laos

25: Calls to Free Student Leaders (link 1)

Malaysia

4: Union heat may delay 'final leg' of AirAsia-MAS deal (link 1)
4: Malaysian Subway Project Sparks Protests (link 1)
4: MTUC picket against amendments to Employment Act (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
9: Malaysians protest Australian rare earth plant (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
11: Nationwide MTUC picket on Nov 3 over labour law changes (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
15: Occupy Protests Spread to Malaysia (link 1)
17: MTUC protests 'legalisation' of modern-day slavery (link 1)
19: High Court to hear union�s attempt to strike out Maybank�s defamation suit (link 1)
25: Beluran villagers protest 'incursion' (link 1)
26: Malaysian airline deal could see workers� rights eroded warns ITF (link 1)
28: 107 local, regional groups call to halt Employment Bill (link 1) (link 2)

Mongolia

17: The rise of 'Mine-golia' (link 1)

North Korea

13: Edinburgh Woollen Mill clothes made by North Koreans (link 1)
19: N. Korean workers demand cash instead of snack cakes at Kaesong complex (link 1)
31: N. Koreans told: Don't return from Libya (link 1)

Philippines

1: PAL abandons talks with union (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
4: Radio workers in Davao gear up for strike (link 1)
5: PALEA raises safety concerns and poor service as overworked admin staff, trainees handle PAL flights (link 1)
5: 3 unions in Davao Region file strike notice (link 1)
5: Protest marks World Teachers' Day in Davao, Cebu (link 1) (link 2)
8: Airline workers fight contract labour (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
9: PAL gets CA green light to pursue suit vs pilots group (link 1) (link 2)
11: Farmers protest landgrab in Bulacan (link 1)
11: Labor groups slam SC turnaround on flight attendants (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
11: PAL outsourcing still can�t fly while local and international support to PALEA growing (link 1)
12: CARP failed, say North Mindanao farmers (link 1)
13: Corona defends recall on PAL case (link 1)
14: PAL starts paying retrenched workers (link 1) (link 2)
14: PALEA joins Occupy Wall Street Day of Action as international actions for PALEA start (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
16: Freedom from Debt Coalition launches online �boycott drive� against Philippine Airlines (link 1)
17: Farmers in Northern Mindanao rally for genuine land reform (link 1)
17: Underground peasant group says Chacha is shameless sell out (link 1)
17: PALEA slams TRO on protest camp (link 1)
18: PAL mulls charges vs. strikers (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
21: Northern Mindanao farmers hold protest in Cagayan de Oro City (link 1)
21: �Occupy Mendiola� farmers declare Aquino as peasant enemy no.1 (link 1)
21: Labor chief urges PAL, union to exercise sobriety (link 1) (link 2)
21: In Cebu, thousands join synchronized candle lighting for PALEA (link 1)
23: Laid-off PAL workers get support of Qantas Airways union (link 1)
24: Peasants all over the country march for land, rights, social justice (link 1)
26: PAL cases are not labor disputes? (link 1)
26: Don�t single us out, Philippine Airlines says of boycott calls (link 1)
27: Labor groups vowed to launch more protest actions vs. PAL (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
27: Seafarers robbed of wages in Philippines (link 1)
28: US unions, Fil-Am community stages solidarity actions for PALEA (link 1)
28: PM condemns PAL for employing hired goons to break PALEA protest camp (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
29: Dismissed PAL workers get separation checks (link 1)
29: Women strike against poverty, government neglect, corporate greed (link 1)
31: Protests over energy costs, workers' rights (link 1)
31: Palace calls for sobriety among PAL, ex-employees (link 1) (link 2)

Singapore

14: Singapore's Police Warn Against Unlawful Occupy Raffles Place Protest (link 1)

South Korea

1: 49 students detained after overnight tuition cut rally (link 1)
2: Calls growing against 'Hope Bus' rally (link 1)
3: Seoul Immigration vs. Union two weeks (link 1)
4: South Korean film makers support crane protester (link 1)
4: SC First Bank reopens more shuttered branches (link 1)
4: Students, workers from Hanjin arrested in Jeju (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
6: KEB labor union to resume rallies against Hana's KEB purchase (link 1)
6: Solidarity with female Hyundai workers, victims of sexual harassment (link 1)
8: Police nab 59 'Hope Bus' protestors (link 1) (link 2)
10: Hanjin Heavy to resume talks with union today (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)
11: Incheon-Seoul bus drivers strike (link 1)
13: In South Korea, A Tiny Fishing Village Engulfed In A Geopolitical Maelstrom (link 1) (link 2)
14: 'Occupy protests' spread to Seoul (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
25: S. Korean activists hold another 'Occupy Seoul' protests (link 1) (link 2)
25: Rights agency recommends dissolution of riot police (link 1) (link 2)
28: S Korean police raid anti-FTA protest (link 1) (link 2)

Taiwan

2: Residents vow to protect land (link 1)
3: Residents protest land seizures (link 1)
7: Farmers protest at the Executive Yuan (link 1)
9: Aboriginal protesters demand better land, human rights (link 1)
12: Hunger strikes to highlight poverty (link 1)
13: Protesters say Taichung hiding pollution findings (link 1)
15: Protesters gather for 'Occupy Taipei 101' (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
26: Mainland cabbies' troubles reflect issues here at home (link 1)
29: Taiwan holds Asia's largest gay pride parade (link 1)

Thailand

1: KFC ordered to reinstate three managers (link 1) (link 2)
6: Thai metalworkers unite to get stronger (link 1)
7: Rallies demand promised wage rates (link 1)
12: Thailand�s lese majeste law used to �target political opponents� (link 1)
18: Minimum wage earners hope and wait (link 1)
25: Anger rises in flooded Bangkok as centre stays dry (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)