Australia Asia Worker Links

An accident in a warehouse in an industrial suburb of Phnom Penh that killed three workers has highlighted once again Cambodia’s deficient work safety legislation. The three workers were killed as they were attempting to unload a big piece of marble off a truck. They were not provided with any mechanical devices and the stone, proving too heavy, crushed all three of them. Labour activists have called for the prosecution of the owner of the factory. In an unrelated incident, four garment workers were hospitalised when a truck tried to break a picket line. The workers had been surrounding the factory over unpaid wages. 

As previously reported, teachers in Iran have been very active this year organising three nationwide days of protests over pay and conditions. Esmail Abdi, the General Secretary of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, was arrested this week as he was about to leave the country to attend an international conference of the global union federation - Education International. This latest arrest is unfortunately only the latest one as the Iranian government is desperately trying to suppress workers’ anger over increasing levels of poverty and exploitation. For more information and solidarity click here.   For Education International statement, click here.

As reported recently, international solidarity activists had organised another naval flotilla to bring much needed supplies to Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. As in previous times, in an act of piracy on the high seas, these ships were intercepted in international waters by the Israeli military and forcibly taken (see video) to an Israeli town. This latest action once again highlights the conditions that Palestinians in Gaza have to endure and the continuing illegal occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel.

The economic crisis that has been engulfing Greece over the last four years has reached another turning point this Sunday the 5th of July with a referendum over whether to accept more austerity measures. Workers and their communities have been progressively impoverished in the last four years via cuts to wages and jobs. A solidarity message by a number of regional labour organisations has been published in support of the fight against austerity. A ‘No’ vote is seen as crucial for workers and their living standards. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s referendum, the situation for workers will remain grave unless they are able to organise and take greater control of their workplaces.

As reported previously, (see here, here and here), the military junta is consolidating its hold in Thailand suppressing all criticism of the coup (click for video). In the latest developments, a newly formed organisation called the ‘New Democracy Movement’ staged a series of protests in May to oppose the military regime. The military later arrested 14 students as ‘ringleaders’. These students are now facing up to 7 years in jail charged with sedition. A television programme that looked at their arrests is also facing pressure from the military. The students have put out a call for further resistance and the need to organise.

As detailed previously (click here and here), the Australian Government repression of asylum seekers and refugees keeps increasing with new laws being enacted with the full support of the ALP opposition. One of the latest laws has been the ‘Border Force Act’ which carries a jail term of up to 2 years for any workers in refugee detention centres who speak out about the conditions in these centres. In protest, a group of health workers in Darwin publicly challenged the government to prosecute them as they stated they were not going to be bound by this law.

This year has seen a marked increase in the attempts by far right groups in Australia to capitalise on the current economic crisis. These groups are using the current government’s increasing nationalist agenda and ‘War on Terror’ rhetoric to direct people’s fears onto vulnerable groups in society. History shows that these far right and fascist organisations are a threat to workers everywhere and need to be stopped as soon as possible. Counter mobilisations to these far right groups by labour and human right groups are being planned for all around Australia for the weekend of the 18 and 19 of July. There are two organising committees, click here and here, working towards the counter mobilisation for Melbourne on the 18 of July.

A vote of over 14,000 workers at General Motors plants in South Korea this week approved the taking of industrial action over issues of pay, bonuses and job classification. Some of these issues have been fought by workers over a number of years, (see here and here). The automotive industry is one of the most integrated in the world with companies constantly trying to lower costs by pitting workers against each other. Globally co-ordinated actions need to be taken to defeat these multi-national companies.

Companies, in their quest for ever greater profits, expand their operations internationally by integrating their production, distribution and commercial divisions at a global level. To be effective in confronting this new reality, workers also need to organise and take actions that are integrated and co-ordinated at an international level.

In conjunction with regional labour activists and organisations, AAWL has developed a global organising concept called ‘The Global Picketline’. This concept is outlined in a short publication that details what type of international solidarity is strongest and the steps needed to organise global campaigns.

There is no copyright to this material, and if you unable to view it on the above web links, this PDF version can be used.

Individuals and organisations are encouraged to use it, share it, and translate it in their own language.

If you have comments, feedback or questions please email Pier at piergiorgio@aawl.org.au

3CR is an activist radio station. For 39 years, 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne, Australia has brought you union, worker, indigenous, women’s, ethnic, environmental, music and other community programs that are not heard elsewhere. Every week AAWL presents its Asia Pacific Currents program on 3CR Radio. 3CR’s programs are podcast to listeners around the world.

3CR relies on donations from its listeners. Please donate to 3CR’s Radiothon fundraising from 1 to 15 June 2015.

Online

By phone: +61 3 9419 8377.

By cheque: 3CR, PO Box 1277, Collingwood, VIC 3066