On 27-28 August 2007, Asian labour activists and supporters from around the world gathered together, on the occasion of AMRC’s 30^th anniversary, to share information and views on Labour Resurgence Under Globalization. For Asian activists, the major concern was naturally what direction the labour movement in Asia should go in, and what AMRC’s role could and should be.

It is fairly clear now that in Asian countries – in spite of diversity of languages, cultures, and histories – workers confront broadly similar situations: government strategies that rely on exports for economic growth, and corporations that leave their home borders and enter their countries in search of low-wage and ‘flexible’ labour. Laws enacted to protect workers are often useless in the face of corporations’ opposition and willingness to exploit workers’ desperation to survive. While all are similarly suffering under globalization, however, the national workers’ movements also face differences in level of industrialization, of legal rights for workers, and of anti-union policies; they also may differ internally, in their organizational capacity, level of technology, and of course ideology.

One might conclude that there is little that national movements can do to really help those movements in other countries. Yet through active communication and coordination, there remains much they can learn from each other – and AMRC’s 30-year history is some testament to this. Technology and ease of travel and communication have made it much easier for labour movements to connect with and support each other. E.g., the use of email, internet and Skype (internet phoning) for sharing information; text messages in China to spread word of worker actions; and the use of mobile phones and other technology to send information outside of Burma despite the government’s clampdown on media and internet. Joint participatory research, joint cross-border campaigning, trainings and worker exchanges are other ways AMRC has seen labour movements being strengthened in Asia.

A long road does lie ahead for all who work in the labour movement in Asia. At the 30^th anniversary conference, many activists acknowledged weaknesses in the Asian labour movement, including a focus on enterprise-based unions, neglect of women’s issues and women labour leadership, insufficient cooperation with other social movements, and so on. The articles here by keynote speakers Peter Waterman (Netherlands), Sujata Gothoskar (India) and Yang Kyung-Kyu (Korea) elaborate on these points, which most participants at the conference could agree on. On the other hand, among labour activists there are still strident disagreements about issues such as engagement with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, especially when funded by corporations; about strategies for strengthening the Chinese labour movement from without, and about the merits or costs of labour organizations working in the political arena (a question which certainly depends on each country’s particular political landscape).

As pointed out by Junya (Lek) Simprasert of Thai Labour Campaign, it may not be necessary for all labour organizations to choose one strategy to the exclusion of others. Some NGOs or trade unions may concretely help workers through their cooperation with some CSR body or Northern funder, for example; while another’s work may be jeopardized if they did so. AMRC would agree; NGOs and trade unions may all have their different niches. Yet, united by common values, such as those of unity, democracy and independence in the movement, we can achieve far more when acting in concert.

Now the people of Burma are in the midst of a huge upheaval as the revered monks in the country have clearly and dramatically rejected the legitimacy of the government dictatorship’s rule over Burmese people. The labour movements in all countries have brought all hands on deck to support the Burmese people. The labour movement is likewise showing support for those opposing military rule in Pakistan.

The struggle to ensure that workers can keep their livelihoods and determine their own fates at their workplaces is something that unites us as well as our heartfelt compassion for our Burmese and Pakistani brothers and sisters. We will fight on, and hope in solidarity with the rest of Asian activists we prove that this was a time of resurgence of labour in Asia, if not the world.