Edited by Antonio A. Tujan Jr.
What are the current trends in neoliberal labour market restructuring in Asia and in the US and Australia? This question was one of the main topics of the Jobs and Justice conference organized by the Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN) on 7-8 December 2006 in Cebu, Philippines.
The conference, comprised of labour organizations, NGOs as well as academics, sought also to share the experiences in struggle from various countries, which included Australia, China, Philippines and Korea, as well as some presentations regarding pan-Asian issues such as the occupational safety and health movement based around accident and disease victims, and the roles and impacts of ASEAN, APEC and the WTO. Highlights include: a macro-level discussion on the impact of globalization on worker incomes, especially workers’ share of income compared to capital; the sharing of Unite Union in New Zealand on union renewal, based on union membership surveys and strategies for expanding it within the service sector; organizing efforts in the Philippines within EPZs, among urban informal workers, and for living wages. The papers have not evenly covered the countries of Asia but still form a valuable sharing and exchange among labour activists and analysts.
IBON Books, 2007
