Australia Asia Worker Links

The heroic and bitter struggle of the Ssangyong workers has been well documented over the last few years (see here, here, here and here), but the struggle for justice is still continuing. This month a delegation of dismissed Ssangyong Korean workers went to Mumbai, India in an effort to pressure the Indian owner of Ssangyong to abide by previous agreements. The Koreans are using this trip to meet a number of local unions and labour organisations to forge greater links. In such a globalised industry as the auto sector, only global organising by workers will be able to raise the standards for all workers worldwide. In another part of India, in the industrial hub of Gurgaon near New Dehli, hundreds of auto workers employed by Bridgestone are in a hard struggle against union busting.

As reported previously (see here and here), the Japanese government’s intention to increase its military capabilities have produced a growing anti militarism movement in Japan. Its passage in Parliament produced violent scenes as opposition deputies tried to stop the reading of the bill. Meanwhile huge crowds outside broke through police barriers and surrounded the Japanese parliament in protest. Thousands of concrete workers throughout Japan took strike action in protest at this new bill, with other actions also being undertaken by other workers.

Saturday 19 September was the 9th anniversary of the 2006 military coup and hundreds of human rights activists held a forum to discuss this event and then marched to the nearby Democracy Monument. This event coincided with the 54th birthday of independent journalist and labour activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk who is still languishing in jail convicted under the repressive Lese Majeste law. The military junta is continuing to stifle internal debate and reporting while at the same time using force to evict farmers in order to create new economic zones.

As reported previously, the influx of big numbers of refugees in Europe is a symptom of the ongoing war in Syria and crisis in nearby countries. In the last couple of weeks Russia has stepped up its intervention into the conflict by expanding its military bases in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tarsus. This will now allow Russia to have a permanent military base in the Eastern Mediterranean regardless of the outcome of the war in Syria. This intervention has also derailed Turkey’s designs over northern Syria that will only intensify the political crisis inside Turkey. These latest developments will only increase the suffering of working class communities in Syria and in the region.

As reported last week, the Korean working class is facing a big assault by government and employers who are trying to use a slowing economy to increase workers’ job insecurity and increase exploitation. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has declared that it will fight this offensive with the start of a new campaign of industrial actions. Earlier this week, tens of thousands of workers took to the streets of Seoul to show their anger.  

This year has seen a marked increase in mobilisations by a number of racist, far right and fascist organisations in Australia. These mobilisations have been countered by various labour and anti racist/fascist activists throughout Australia. Unfortunately, fascist elements are continuing to organise and are now concentrating on the southern regional city of Bendigo where the building of a proposed mosque has allowed them to exploit local issues. Following on from their last rally on the 29 August, they are now organising a new demonstration in Bendigo. A local group, the Bendigo Action Coalition, has come together to counter the fascists.

As reported in last week’s news, the Iranian working class lost a tireless leader when Shahrokh Zamani died in an Iranian prison. Iranian unions have rallied to his cause and are calling for justice for his death. Internationally, Shahrokh’s death has sparked many many actions and protests in solidarity with workers in Iran, though the Iranian government’s response has been to arrest more trade unionists. The fight for the rights of Iranian workers will continue both inside and outside Iran.

Labour news from Bangladesh is usually about the efforts of workers to organise or about major industrial disasters that kill scores of workers in the garment or shipbreaking sectors. The gas and oil exploration sector that operates mainly offshore is an under-reported sector. Hundreds of workers are employed by the giant Chevron Corporation and have been fighting for many years for regular contracts and against precarious work. Their attempts to organise and form their own union this year resulted in Chevron sacking all the elected leaders of this new union earlier this year. 

Earlier this month, four workers employed by the Jeans Company were killed when the roof on their factory collapsed on them. Another 16 workers were injured. This roof collapse is just the last of a long line of industrial catastrophes in Pakistan (see here and here,) and reflects a corrupt political system that puts profits above workers’ lives. This company was producing clothes for major USA brands. This once again shows the brutality of a globalised economic system that scours the planet in search of the weakest and least organised sections of workers so that production costs are minimised and profits maximised.

The issue of trade unionists being jailed in Iran has been covered many times previously (see here, here, here and here). These arrests are a reflection of the Iranian government’s unrelenting campaign against labour activists in order to prevent workers improving their wages and conditions. This week, Shahrokh Zamani died in prison due to ill health caused by torture and ill treatment while in prison. Shahrokh had been a member of the Founding Board of the Syndicate of Paint Workers of Tehran and the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers Organisations. Shahrokh was a tireless fighter for workers rights and the Iranian working class has lost another leader to the repressive apparatus of the Iranian Government. Click here for video of his funeral.

Organising is not a crime

Release all labour activists in Iran