Stories about Labor from July, 2009
Cuba: Political Prisoners
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that while one former political prisoner has started a blog, another Cuban human rights activist “faces up to 8 years in prison if convicted of trumped-up charges of assault and receiving stolen property.”
Situation of Indonesian farmers
Maya observes that Indonesian farmers are still suffering, especially during food crisis.
Jamaica: Gladys Bustamante Passes On
Repeating Islands acknowledges the passing of 97-year-old Gladys Bustamante, “the widow of Jamaica’s first prime minister and a fierce supporter of women’s and workers’ rights.”
China: How Buildings Are Built In Shenzhen
ESWN translated a short piece (with photo) from Voice of China BBS featuring Lao Liu, who used pole to carry bricks off the boats for 21 years at the Xixiang pier.
Bangladesh, South Korea: Bandhobi, Addressing Migrant Workers’ Issues
Bangladeshi blogger Fahmidul Haque introduces us [bn] to a Korean Movie which features the love between a Bangladeshi migrant worker and a South Korean teenager girl and addresses migrant workers' issues.
Philippines: Underwear protest
Workers who lost their jobs after the closure of an undergarment factory held a protest action in front of a government labor office by throwing bras and panties in the air
Bangladesh: Practice of child labour
Monjuraul at Muktangan discusses[bn] the condition of child labourers in Bangladesh.
Brazil: Amnesty for illegal immigrants sparks hope and controversy
A new amnesty for illegal immigrants has just become law in Brazil, benefiting between 50,000 and 200,000 people. The hope is that the amnesty will bring at least better working conditions for those currently being exploited in sweatshops that cash in on illegal immigrants, and eventually compassion for Brazilians living illegally abroad.
Philippines: Protest of KFC workers
Filipino employees of KFC, a popular fastfood chain, staged a picket-rally to protest the “illegal” dismissal of many workers in the country.
Japan: Unemployment in Japan by Region
Curzon from Mutantfrog posts a map that shows unemployment in Japan by region.
Philippines: Testimony of a worker with HIV
Rina, a former domestic helper from the Philippines, shares how she acquired HIV while working in Dubai.
Taiwan: Call for Reduced Sentence of a Chinese Worker
TIWA starts a petition for reduced sentence of an injured Chinese worker Liu Hanghuang who stabbed to of his Taiwanese employers after he failed to commit suicide.
Bahrain: Having Respect For Yourself
Rick Beeman, an American based in Bahrain, is back in the USA for a visit – and wonders about the behaviour of certain Americans: “These people didn’t seem to have any self-respect and that was the sad part. While the people I'm with over in Bahrain…the laborers, have an incredible...
Latvia: The one-way street of economic crisis
Nouvelle Europe discusses [FR] the economic crisis in Latvia, with widespread wage cuts and imminent collapse of the financial sector, indicating no apparent way out of the crisis in the foreseeable future.
Bahrain, Oman: The Lives Of Migrant Workers
Migrant workers, the majority from South Asia, form a large part of the population in the countries of the Gulf. In this post we hear the experience of two individuals who have come to the Gulf to work.
Ghana: Bloggers Discuss Business Process Outsourcing
Few know that A.T.Kearney rated Ghana as sub-Saharan Africa's number one Business Process Outsourcing destination in 2005 and, as of June 2009, the nation’s achievements in this field look set to continue. Several bloggers reported on an agreement signed in early June between two leading ICT organisations that will provide unprecedented opportunities for ICT students, create thousands of jobs, and underpin the growth of this nascent industry.
Trinidad & Tobago: Alutrint Accounts
“We badly want to see…what the State has spent on Alutrint, what it will spend, and what it will gain”: A Trinidad and Tobago-based anti-smelter blog is concerned that “the citizens of the Republic will be paying Alutrint’s costs…this will amount to tens of billions of dollars, not even taking...
Japan: Aokigahara and Suicide
Matt Holland at Feedbackward on Aokigahara, and Meaningful Suicide in Japan – “The ubiquitous and accessible nature of trains in Japan make them a logical and effective choice for those attempting suicide, but it is Aokigahara, the forest situated at the base of iconic Mount Fuji that hosts the most...
Japan: Implications of the Population Crisis
Ian Wright at Japanian analyzes the implications of the diminishing population in Japan from an economic, political, and military point of view.
Bermuda: New Hotel
Bermudian bloggers discuss the pros and cons of the proposed construction of a new hotel on the island.
Dubai: Stylish Workers
Life in Dubai posts a photograph of workers in the heat, wearing straw hats and comments: “I came across this gang of labourers this morning, looking very stylish in their straw hats.”
