Publications for Download

AMRC has a few publications, reports and papers that it offers for download. They are a result of our ongoing work and we will keep updating the list. There are also publications which we offer for download by obtaining the consent of the author and whose work we would like to showcase on our website.

Capital Mobility and Workers in Asia: Case Studies on Japan, China, Philippines and Thailand

The research papers chosen for this book were presented at a meeting of researchers into capital mobility, organized by AMRC and ATNC Monitoring Network held in the Philippines, 28-29 September 2010. The meeting was part of an attempt by AMRC and other labour groups in the ATNC Monitoring Network to identify the basis for a new solidarity between workers in Asia. On this occasion we presented research papers on Japan, China, the Philippines and Thailand. The concept and impact of financialisation on the region was a new topic resulting from these studies and has given rise to additional research which will be undertaken later. However, the discussion shows general impact of financialisation in terms of the massive flexibilisation and informalisation of workers in the region as illustrated in each chapter.

Please click the link below for Free download

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Asia Pacific Labour Law Review: Workers' Rights for the New Century

This book is more than a review of labour law, it is the only comprehensive review available of labour law in the Asia Pacific region. It investigates the impact of labour law on workers in 30 countries. It analyses trade union and labour activists’ responses to changes in labour law, and examines what labour law means for workers’ daily lives. Each chapter representing a country can be downloaded country wise for download below.

Cover of the Asia Pacific Labour Law Review

Intoduction and Table of contents

To Download chapters on individual countries:

Asian Asbestos Conference 2009 Report

AMRC hosted the Asian Asbestos Conference in Hong Kong along with the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), Ban Asbestos Japan (BANJAN) , Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), International Metalworkers Federation (IMF), Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and others. This publication reflects the discussion and sharing during this conference with the formation of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (A-BAN).

Asia has long needed a coordinated approach to the problem of widespread asbestos use. While some countries in the region, such as Japan and Korea, have already instituted asbestos bans, others continue to manufacture and use asbestos products; in particular, India and China remain heavy users.

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Silicosis - A Lover's Story

The Silicosis comics was created with the intention of providing an easy tool for education and sharing information about this work related disease and its deadly effects. The story board was created by Meldody Kemp, who is a long standing member of the ANROEV network and the illustrations were done by an artist in Laoscalled Philom Somsouthi. These comics came to life by the joint effort of members of the ANROEV network including AMRC. It has since been translated into Chinese, Hindi, Gujarathi and will be translated into a few more languages in the region. The story has 3 sections and all parts will be uploaded for viewing.

Struggle for Justice

This publication was jointly produced by AMRC and the ANROAV Network in 2005 looking at the workers' compensation system in the Asia Pacific region.

The Asia Pacific region is diverse and OSH compensation systems vary from place to place. Yet there is a stark similarity in the manner workers face difficulties and are unable to access these systems. On paper most of the countries have framed laws that lay down procedures and rights for workers to claim compensation. There are some exceptions like Cambodia (which unfortunately is not covered in this volume) where the law in itself is totally inadequate and ambiguous without clear procedures for workers to follow.

At this juncture one may even look into the historical evolution of compensation systems. In basic terms we can say that they evolved over the years as a direct struggle of labour against the forces of capital with intervention from the state. Overall the laws on compensation can be classified into two main groups; one is the employers’ liability system where a worker can sue the employer for injuries and diseases; the other is the no-fault compensation system which is more like workers’ insurance and run by either state or private insurance companies. To read more, please download the whole publication...

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Health Hazards in Electronics - a Handbook

This publication was produced by AMRC in 1985 and has been a valuable resource for those working on OSH and labour rights issues in the electronics industry for the past two decades.

This publication was produced by AMRC in 1985 and has been a valuable resource for those working on OSH and labour rights issues in the electronics industry for the past two decades. AMRC will update this resource book in the coming year with updated information on hazards and more on the changes of the industry in Asia- mapping its growth and labour trends and practices. This book serves as an ideal starting point for workers, unions and those working on labour and health issues in the electronics industry..

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Labour Law Review- Rights for 2/3 of Asia

AMRC with support from Committee for Asian Women and Homenet Southeast Asia

Rights for Asia’s ‘invisible’ majority

The ‘informal’ workers constitute the overwhelming majority of Asia, as much as 2/3 of the labor force. Among those, a majority is composed of women.

Informal workers predominate in the large informal economy of Asia, which comprise of a galaxy of ‘unregistered’ and usually ‘unregulated’ economic activities taking place in agriculture, industry and in the rapidly-growing service sector. Workers in the vast informal economy include seasonal agricultural workers, home-based producers, ambulant peddlers, unregistered migrants, etc.

Formal sector employment also keeps shrinking in both developing and developed Asian countries because of the ‘labor informalization’ process taking place in the sector. The ‘regular’ or ‘standard’ employees are now outnumbered by the ‘irregular’ or ‘non-standard’ agency, temporary/casual, part-time, migrant and subcontracted workers.

Who are Asia’s informal labourers? What are their rights under national laws – or what are the rights they have been deprived of? Can the system of social security be extended to them? Can the ‘race to the bottom’ that is driving the informalization process be stopped? What can labor advocates and governments do to protect the dignity of informal workers– be they in the ever-growing informal economy or in the shrinking formal sector?

The labour law review is now avaliable for download both chapter wise as listed below and also the whole book in a single file.

ALLR2008 Cambodia Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 India Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 Indonesia Chapter .pdf

ALLR2008 Laos Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 Malaysia Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 Pakistan Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 Philippines Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 Thailand Chapter.pdf

ALLR2008 Vietnam Chapter.pdf

Cover of ALLR2008.pdf

Complete Asian Labour Law Review 2008.pdf

Labour in Globalising Asian Corporations: A portrait of struggle

This volume from the ATNC series of AMRC examines how ‘work’ is being recomposed by mobile capital in Asia.

This volume from the ATNC series of AMRC examines how ‘work’ is being recomposed by mobile capital in Asia. It traces the interaction between multinational companies and local labour, drawing on the examples of the evolution of emerging multinational giant Samsung Electronics, the world’s most profitable automaker Toyota, and the survival strategies of the Taiwanese national brand Tatung. We are shown how the world of labour and living has changed for workers as a result of these multinational companies’ operation and expansion of capital in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, India, and China.

Whole book download.pdf

Labour in Globalising Asian Corps - Preface and Contents

Labour in Globalising Asian Corps - Chap 1-2.pdf

Labour in Globalising Asian Corps - Chap 3-5.pdf

Labour in Globalising Asian Corps - Chap 8.pdf

Labour in Globalising Asian Corps - Chap 9-10.pdf

Asian Transnational Corporation Outlook 2004: Asian TNCs, workers, and the movement of capital

This book provides a general picture of capital movement from Asia and thereby illuminating the importance of monitoring ATNCs. It includes achievements of the ATNC network researchers over the past two years. It highlights the impact of Asian investment on labour in different countries thereby providing an understanding of the restructuring of labour and the 'race to the bottom' of labour conditions as an aspect of a particular form of the globalisation of capital.

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AMRC 30th Anniversary Proceedings

AMRC has journeyed over 30 years through a vastly changing Asia and participated in different phases of the changing labour movement in the region.

It has been instrumental in facilitating workers and labour organizations in Asia to work together across countries in the interests of labour.

Concieved in the late 1970’s AMRC was initally set up as an information centre in Hong Kong, called the Asia/North American Communications Center. In the early 1980s its scope expanded to observing the impact of all foreign capital in the Asian region. Since then it has taken its current name of AMRC.

in August 2007, AMRC held a 30th anniversary conference, attended by current and former partners in the Asian labour movement, with the theme of Labour Resurgence Under Globalization.

Proceedings available upon request.