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Labour news from Asia

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Asia

East Asia week of action commences Monday 2012-02-04 [ITF]
Poverty pay unveiled on flag of convenience vessels 2012-01-20 [ITF]
ITF south east Asia week of action begins on Monday 2012-01-08 [ITF]


Afghanistan

Slave-like conditions' on Swedish army base 2012-01-09 [The Local]
Calls for dialouge after ISAF admission in journalist death 2011-09-12 [IFJ]
IFJ Mourns BBC Journalist Killed by Nato Forces in Afghanistan 2011-09-11 [IFJ]


Armenia

Let Them Also Build a Mausoleum for Themselves’: 2011-11-08 [Epress]
NKR President meets reps of Trade Union Federation 2011-01-28 [News.arm]
NKR President praises role of trade unions in democratic countries 2011-01-28 [PanArmenian]


Azerbaijan

IFJ Calls for Swift Action to Bring to Book Killers of Prominent Journalist in Azerbaijan 2011-11-28 [IFJ]
Azerbaijan begins updating of general collective agreement 2011-09-29 [ABC.AZ]
Ilham Aliyev receives Russian trade union leader 2011-04-27 [News.Az]


Australia

Employers stuck in past and must catch up to values on equal pay for women 2012-02-04 [ACTU]
Victoria Thales' workers 'devastated' by job cuts 2012-02-04 [ABC]
New South Wales Newsmaker: Louie the Fly 2012-02-04 [SMH]


Bangladesh

JU teachers stage hunger strike 2012-02-04 [The New Age]
Apparel workers should get maternity leaves and day-care facilities 2012-02-04 [The New Age]
8th wage board by Feb: Azad 2012-01-30 [The New Age]


Bhutan

Ministry of labour resolves dispute 2010-07-23 [Kuensel]


Brunei


Burma

BWI Welcomes Release of Political Prisoners in Burma 2012-01-19 [BWI]
Special US envoy urges Myanmar to amend law to combat forced labor, human trafficking 2012-01-11 [WashingtonPost]
Burma's New Labor Law: Built to Fail or Shifting Toward Democracy? 2011-12-22 [Huffington Post]


Cambodia

Returning maids have horrific tale 2012-02-04 [Phnom Penh Post]
About 300 workers burned tyres in front of a Malaysian-owned garment factory in protest over firing of five union reps 2012-02-04 [Phnom Penh Post]
Ousted hotel and resort worker unionists capitulate 2012-02-04 [Phnom Penh Post]


China

Boycotts against Apple won't improve factory conditions if there's no ethical alternative 2012-02-04 [The Australian]
Worker pays final sacrifice for friend 2012-02-04 [China Daily]
Lost' staff prompt a headache 2012-02-04 [China Daily]


Hong


India

Gujarat Workers’ strike continues at Reliance textile unit 2012-02-04 [Indian Express]
Uttar Pradesh Strike hits work in Lucknow University 2012-02-04 [TNN]
Kerala HC rejects plea to bring nursing under ESMA 2012-02-04 [TNN]


Indonesia

Editorial: wages deal good for companies, workers 2012-02-03 [The Jakarta Globe]
SBY: labor salary should rise 2012-02-02 [JP]
Govt to revise remuneration system over labor uprising 2012-02-01 [The Jakarta Post]


Japan

Foreign care workers take exam for first time 2012-01-30 [Japan Times]
Rengo, Keidanren clash in pay talks 2012-01-30 [Japan Times]
Air Nippon Pilot Union Threatens Strike on February 1st 2012-01-30 [4 Traders]


Kazakhstan

Member Of Public Commission Probing Kazakh Oil Town Clash Charged With Crime ActNOW! 2012-02-04 [RFE/Radio Liberty]
State of emergency in oil town at centre of labour unrest comes to an end ActNOW! 2012-02-03 [UPI]
Critics arrested at unpredecented pace to quell dissent over brutal police response to oil worker dispute and recent parliamentary elections ActNOW! 2012-02-03 [WSJ]


Korea

1,500 days JEI sit-in struggle (#2) 2012-02-01 [CINA]
1,500 days JEI sit-in struggle (#1) 2012-01-31 [CINA]
Female health workers still struggle against discrimination over pregnancy 2012-01-31 [The Herald]


Kyrgyzstan

Three Kyrgyz 'Rescued From 10-Year Slavery' In Kazakhstan 2012-01-29 [RFE/Radio Liberty]
Hunger strike of railwaymen wnds 2011-12-27 [24]
Members of youth railroad workers union went on indefinite hunger strike 2011-12-26 [24]


Laos

Asbestos in Asia: Breaking Through the Silence in Lao PDR 2012-01-09 [Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA]
Launch of Teacher2Teacher Campaign - linking Australian teachers with counterparts in Laos 2010-03-15 [APHEDA-Union Aid Abroad]
ANZ funded project causing havouc in central Laos 2009-11-22 [Finsec]


Malaysia

Maybank dismissed NUBE Vice President and Hon. Treasurer for trade union activities 2012-02-03 [NUBE]
Maybank drags all commercial banks down to violate even more laws 2012-02-03 [NUBE]
Unionists protest Maybank’s sacking of two officials 2012-02-03 [www.semparuthi.com]


Maldives

Parliament debating prohibiting protests at resorts 2010-11-22 [http://maldivesresortworkers.wordpress.com/]
Marrige ceremony scandal reveals need for recognition of TEAM, the union for resort workers 2010-10-31 [TEAM]
a resort worker’s fatal journey home. 2010-10-19 [http://maldivesresortworkers.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/a-resort-w]


Mongolia

Striking teachers, Government still negotiating 2011-12-17 [MAD]
Edinburgh Woollen Mill clothes made by North Koreans in Mongolia 2011-10-17 [BBC]
British companies are using exploited workers sent by the hermit regime of North Korea to fill its coffers 2011-10-14 [The Independent]


Nepal

Internationally Recognised Core Labour Standards in Nepal: Report for the WTO General Council Review (Geneva, 1 and 3 February 2012) 2012-02-02 [ITUC]
Workers demand salaries 2012-02-02 [The Rising Nepal]
GEFONT to campaign -17 Paisa:17 Rights 2012-02-02 [GEFONT]


Pakistan

Workers attempt self-immolation to protest employer actions 2012-02-04 [Dawn]
Two KESC workers attempt self-immolation against lay-offs 2012-02-04 [The News]
Young doctors announce OPD strike in Lahore 2012-01-30 [Dawn]


Philippines

“More Unionists were Killed”: Alliance of Progressive Labor testifies 2012-02-02 [APL]
PALEA welcomes Chinese new year with Ayala motorcade and impeachment rally 2012-01-25 [All Voices]
Philippines ratifies ILO 185: comment 2012-01-23 [ITF]


Singapore

Batam battery company runs out of energy as workers strike 2012-01-20 [Asia One]
Some foreign workers seeking help for botched medical treatment 2012-01-01 [Sunday Times]
For the first time in 50 years, NTUC gets a woman president 2011-12-09 [TODAY Online]


Sri Lanka

Strike hits 10 hospitals 2012-02-04 [Unions Lanka]
Train strike called off following Minister Welgama’s intervention 2012-02-02 [The Island]
Railway strike called off following discussions with Minister 2012-02-02 [The Colombo Page]


Taiwan

Kaohsiung airport staff threaten strike 2012-01-21 [The Post]
Foreign workers allowed to stay longer 2012-01-20 [Radio Australia]
Protesters urge better protections for migrant workers 2011-12-12 [Taipei Times]


Tajikistan

Moscow's recession has seen the sacking of thousands of guest workers from the central Asian republics. 2009-04-12 [The Observer]
Workers stage rare strike over pay in Tajikistan 2009-04-01 [Reuters]
Tajik Embassy Failing to Protect Guest Workers in Russia, Activists Say 2009-01-27 [Georgian Daily]


Thailand

Jailed labour activist's court move request denied 2012-01-27 [Front Line Defenders]
Union campaigner Somyot in court again 2012-01-25 [Prachatai News]
NZ union leader backs jailed Thai campaigner Somyot 2012-01-25 [Thailand Mirror]


Tibet

Lhasa locals happy in labour union 2010-03-17 [China Tibet Online]
Scholar hails Tibet's 2009-01-21 [Xinhua]
Dialogue and reform urged 2008-04-04 [UNI]


Turkey

Firms not keen on hiring expats 2012-02-04 [Hurriyet]
TÜİK workers demand job security, better pay 2012-02-04 [Hurriyet]
Turkish government's renewed failure to adapt new trade union legislation respecting international standards 2012-02-03 [IUF]


Turkmenistan


Uzbekistan

Kids Hard At Work In Uzbekistan's Cotton Fields 2011-12-27 [RFE/Radio Liberty]
Forced State-sponsored Child Labour Kills 2011-10-20 [Inter-Press Service]
Apparel firms join Uzbek cotton ban because of use of child labour 2011-09-14 [just style]


Vietnam

The number of wildcat strikes in Vietnam doubled last year 2012-01-20 [FT]
Vietnam’s VGCL is even worse than China’s ACFTU: ILO official in FT interview 2012-01-20 [CPVW]
AIDS quagmire to get worse as international trade agreement threatens access to lifesaving medicine 2012-01-13 [ITUC]
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