The arrest of Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics’ Vice Chairman, on bribery charges is a small victory for the workers movement in South Korea. His arrest is connected to the political influence peddling scandal that, amid unprecedented mass protests, has forced the South Korean president Park Geun-hye to step aside. At the same time, the fight by labour activists against the deadly occupational health and safety conditions at Samsung Electronics continues. In the last few weeks, another two workers, Kim Ki-cheol and Hwang, died from work related diseases. To fight against a global giant like Samsung, workers need to organise and take coordinated actions internationally.

This week, the Australian industrial commission handed down a decision that will cut penalty rates for thousands of workers who work on a Sunday. The decision targeted workers in the hospitality, retail and fast food sectors, who are already some of the most exploited and lowest paid workers in Australia. This attack on workers’ wages is seen as the start of a new offensive against workers’ living standards by both governments and capitalists. Penalty rates were won by unions in Australia 70 years ago through industrial action. History shows that they will only be won back by organising workers in the workplace and taking industrial action.

Earlier this month, the three month long dispute at the Faremo garment factory in the Cavite Free Trade Zone ended with an agreement between the company and the workers. The dispute centred on the company’s resolve to destroy the workers’ union and slash conditions. The workforce of around 1,000, mainly women workers, stayed united even after being dismissed. Their determination allowed them to win further gains. The workers were able to get an additional substantial financial assistance package, the gifting of a number of sewing machines as well as the option of rehiring in the future. The solidarity of other workers in the Philippines and internationally was also of crucial importance in this dispute.

Reports indicate that in the last few months, Saudi Arabia has expelled around 40,000 migrant workers from Pakistan. Using concerns around security issues, the Saudi Arabian government is expelling large numbers of migrant workers to curtail efforts at workplace organising. Many of these workers are still owed unpaid wages and face difficult times back in their home countries. These deportations are occurring in a climate of economic and social difficulties where migrant workers are being used as scapegoats for these problems. In actual fact, migrant workers in the Gulf countries in West Asia have consistently been used as cheap and disposable labour by national governments.

A massive fire in the Cavite Export Processing Zone on February 1 has injured more than 100 workers with at least two in a critical condition. Luckily, so far no fatalities have been reported.  There is some dispute between Government official reports, and unionists, family members and co-workers about the number of people still unaccounted for. The fire took place in Singaporean company, House Technology Industries (HTI), which manufactures housing parts such as shower rooms, windows, and counters made of wood or plastic.  HTI has a shady health and safety record with a previous fire in 2012 blazing for 10 hours before it was able to be put out. Activists are now calling for a transparent investigation, which would include the participation of labour organisations and a proper interrogation of HTI’s OHS compliance certification.

Sujeewa Mangala who has been at the forefront of industrial action for over a month against Sri Lanka's main telecommunications provider has been found three days after his abduction.  He went missing on January 29 following court orders banning protests led by his union.  Sujewaa Mangala is the Vice President of the All Ceylon Telecommunication Employees' Union and was found dumped blindfolded at the roadside on 1 February. Telecommunication manpower workers have been on strike since 26 December 2016, for job security. Of nearly 8000 workers, at least 2100 employees come under the manpower employee category. Some of them have been in temporary employment for seven years. Sujeewa Mangala was threatened by the perpetrators to abandon the six week long strike action.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Australia in February 2017.  Netanyahu has been responsible for Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza, as well as Israel's ongoing occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights. In 2014, Netanyahu ordered Israel's 50 day murderous assault on Gaza, which resulted in the death of more than 2,250 Palestinians, including almost 1,500 civilians, one third of whom were children, along with 299 women. Netanyahu has also just announced the first new settlements in the West Bank in 25 years. Demonstrations are being planned including a solidarity event in Melbourne, where Netanyahu has cancelled a stopover.

The Australian union representing workers in media and the arts is calling on the government to resettle Behrouz Boochani, Mehdi Savari, and ‘Eaten Fish’, respectively a journalist, an actor and a cartoonist who have been detained in a refugee detention camp on Manus Island. These comrades are among 900 other refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers detained on Manus Island as victims of the Australian Government’s cruel policy of deterrence and indefinite offshore detention for those who seek refuge in Australia by sea (see here, here and here). To join the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance campaign, see here.

Workers in Australia remain under sustained attack by the capitalists, with existing EBAs being threatened with termination.  The latest example of this is Parmalat, owned by Lactalis, the largest dairy manufacturing company in the world. In July 2016, they presented the ETU and AMWU with an enterprise agreement log of claims that represented a major attack on the wage rates and employment conditions at the Echuca site.  When the union said no, Parmalat lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission to terminate the existing EBA.   The workers have been locked out since 18 January, and the Fair Work Commission is due to consider the application on terminating the EBA on 16 and 17 February.