Palm oil has long been the subject of criticism from various quarters. Amidst of criticism, the global demand for palm oil is increasing, and palm oil plantations are also increasing in many places, in particular in Indonesia, the largest palm oil producer in the world.
While health hazards and poor working conditions inside electronics factories have been well documented, few studies extensively cover these issues in terms of gender relations. This research attempts to establish a causal relationship between exposure to certain chemicals and the implications for reproductive health and investigates the issues that affect women workers more directly.
At least 47 workers were killed and many more were severely injured, when a fireworks factory exploded in Tangerang district, Indonesia on Thursday, October 26. Located in one of biggest industrial area in Indonesia, the PT Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses (PBCS) factory is now being suspected by the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower of not having appropriate work safety procedures. The allegation came after it was discovered that the factory gate was always locked and this trapped many workers inside the factory when the accident occurred.
Asia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Partly, the rapid economic growth is due to the rise of Factory Asia as manufacturing as well as the deepening of agricultural and extractive transnational corporations' (TNCs) operations in the region. Investments by TNCs are welcomed by the Asian governments, which have been adopting neoliberal economic policies more than ever.
The Asian Roundtable on Social Protection (AROSP) is a network of grassroots workers’ organisations, trade unions, NGOs, and scholars in Asia that work on the issues of formal and informal workers. AROSP serves as a platform to provide mutual help, facilitate information sharing, and help organisations build their understanding on social protection. As a regional network, it aims to support and consolidate the regional struggle for social protection for the poor across various sectors in Asia.
Stop oil palm plantations! Fight for land, fight for life!
Statement
March 30, 2016
As we mark the Day of the Landless on March 29, the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) is launching the “Stop Oil Palm Plantations!” campaign. This, amidst the massive and aggressive expansion of the palm oil industry that further threatens the life and livelihood of countless farmers, farm workers, indigenous peoples, and other oppressed and exploited rural sectors in the region.
In Indonesia, 1,300 mostly women workers were unfairly dismissed from their factory PT Panarub in 2012 after they went on strike to demand payment of wage arrears and the right to organise.
To date they have not received their severance pay and wage arrears from the Panarub group, and buyers Adidas and Mizuno refuse to admit responsibility and provide support to the workers. The workers' union SBGTS-GSBI continues to demand justice for the workers, and are currently running a campaign against Adidas and Mizuno.
This education module on capital mobility explains the capitalist crisis, and assesses the impact of capital mobility on workers and trade unions. The module also provides stories of workers in the global supply chains and their struggles.
Workers of Indonesia conducted a General Strike to protest new regulations excluding workers in the bargaining table. Workers and activists across the globe showed their solidarity with the struggle.
Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC) conducted last August 13-14, 2015 a workshop entitled "Workers Organising in the Electronic Industry: Experiences from Indonesia and Malaysia" in Batam, Indonesia.
Different groups condemn the adverse social and environmental impacts of oil palm plantations in Indonesia on workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, and the environment during a workshop jointly organised by Asia Monitor Resource Centre, WALHI Kalteng, and Sawit Watch in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan on 8-9 August 2015.