Wednesday, August 06, 2008

South African workers are holding a one-day strike causing widespread disruption to the country, particularly in cities such as Durban, and forcing mines and factories to close. The national strike on Wednesday was called by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to protest against rising power, food and fuel prices.

Penchan Charoensuthipan, Bangkok Post
August 1, 2008
A protest by Triumph factory workers over the abrupt dismissal of the head of their labour union _ which workers see as an attempt to undermine the union _ spilled over to the company’s headquarters in Bangkok yesterday. Protesters rallied outside the Vanit building on New Phetchaburi road, which houses the head office of Body Fashion Thailand Co, which manufactures underwear and swimwear for Triumph.

This book is a translated version of the original English report published in July 2007, authored by Laurie Kazan-Allen from International Ban Asbestos Secretariat in collaboration with 15 other organisations from Asia and other parts of world.

This campaign in Hong Kong was very short and the number of our members was not so big. But we could make a successful result thanks to your devoted solidarity.

AMRC would like to extend its warm greetings to all workers and activist on this May Day. We hope the working class of Asia will continue to keep its sprits high in these turbulent and difficult times. Not only has the ‘Iron Rice Bowl’ smashed a long time ago but even the rice – that is so much dear to all Asian workers has become so expensive due to high inflation.

I am delighted to announce that the Board of AMRC has approved Mr. Sanjiv Pandita as the new Director, effective from 1st May 2008.

On the evening of 9th April 2008 in Southern Thailand, 54 migrant workers from Burma suffocated in a 6m x 2.2m refrigerated truck routinely used for carrying frozen seafood. These workers were being smuggled to the resort island of Phuket.

Edited by May Wong ( Chinese version )