· October, 2011

Stories about Labor from October, 2011

Thailand: Burmese Workers Arrested Outside Flood Zones

  26 October 2011

Mahn Saimon reports that Burmese workers who are escaping the floods of Thailand are being arrested by Thai police forces for travelling outside of their permitted zones. There are three million Burmese migrants in Thailand which is currently experiencing the worst floods in half a century.

Coworking Spaces and Nomad Workers in Japan

  23 October 2011

Coworking is a growing worldwide movement, and Japan is no exception. Surprising to see in a culture where the idea of physically being in the office at all hours is ingrained in the psyche of the salaried worker? Perhaps not.

Ethiopia: Netizens Take Campaign for Shweya Mullah Online

  13 October 2011

A social media campaign for justice is raging amongst Ethiopians online after a CNN journalist, Dan Rivers, revealed the horrifying abuse of Shweyga Mullah who was brutally injured after the wife of Gaddafi’s son poured boiled water on her body for allegedly failing to keep a crying child quiet.

Analysis on Russia-North Korea trade

  7 October 2011

North Korea specialist Andrei Lankov posted an analysis on North Korea's recent talk with Russia on economic cooperation. In the East Asia Forum site, Lankov explained why the two most important potential projects are a railway and a gas pipeline.

Dreamwork China: The Workers of Foxconn

  6 October 2011

China Digital Times introduces a documentary, Dreamwork China, on the lives and dreams of the Foxconn workers who make (authentic) Apple products (among others) at their massive complex in Shenzhen.

China: Student Interns Or Cheap Labourers?

  4 October 2011

To tackle the labour shortage emerging in China, the government has started encouraging privately run institutes to expand vocational schools. Student labourers enrolled in the so-called “factory in front, school at the back” model have been sharing their grievances online.

Singapore: Shortage of Qualified Doctors

  3 October 2011

To address the lack of qualified medical professionals in Singapore, the government is hiring more foreign doctors aside from asking its Singapore-trained doctors who are working abroad to come home already