Stories about Labor from May, 2012
Kazakhstan: Where Central Asia's Bread Comes From
On Vox Populi, photographer Kanat Beysekeev presents an annotated photo report [ru] on wheat sowing and the everyday life of farmers in northern Kazakhstan. Much of the wheat flour consumed...
China: Netizens Want Confucius to Return Home
A new visa policy was announced on May 17, 2012 by the U.S State Department which put the Confucius Institute under the spotlight in the Chinese blogosphere. Chinese netizens take the opportunity to ask Confucius to return home and teach the poor Chinese kids instead.
Argentina: Controversy Surrounding Labour Conditions in Production of Yerba Mate
The Province of Misiones, where the famous Iguazú falls can be found, is the current subject of controversy because of the working conditions of yerba mate workers. The AFIP (Federal Administration of Public Income) has discovered slave labour in a yerba mate field.
Video: How Societies Work – a Look at Unconventional Arrangements
The VJ Movement has partnered with the London School of Economics to bring us videos and stories that attempt to show how societies in conflict and crisis-affected areas across the globe are facing their futures.
China: Workers’ Culture on Weibo
Jennifer Cheung from China Labour Bulletin introduces how workers in China make use of micro-blog to tell their stories in different artistic forms.
Mayotte: Capsizing Boat Kills at Least 5 Economic Refugees
Malango Actualité provides the social context [fr] related to the sinking of a boat that killed at least 5, including 3 children and an infant. The fishing boat was carrying 43 people...
Portugal: Unemployment as the New ‘Thang’
Portuguese Minister of Economy Álvaro Santos Pereira‘s speech on the Parliament today, May 18, has become a national joke [pt], with the hashtag #Coiso (slang for “thing”) trending on Twitter....
China: Motor-Powered Breakfast Crepes
The Presurfer shares a video where we can see how the Beijing Jianbing is made. This large breakfast crepe is made possible thanks to a very steady hand and a...
Thailand: Minimum Wage and Cost of Living
Bangkok Pundit translates survey reports on the minimum wage and cost of living conditions in Thailand
Kenya: To Pay or Not to #PayInterns?
Kenyan tweep @RobertAlai started a lively debate on Twitter on 14 May, 2012 about the need for companies to pay interns. He argued that using interns without pay is a form of exploitation. Tweeps have been using the hashtag #PayInterns to question the practice forcing some companies to clear their names on Twitter.
Kenya: #PayInterns Trending
#PayInterns is trending in Kenya. @mainneli writes: “Interns should be paid. they do the same work and same stuff like anyone else in the office,stop exploitation #Payinterns”
Bolivia: Protests Sweep Across the Country
A wave of protests are sweeping across Bolivia, affecting at least six of the largest regions of the country. Although conflicts are not initially linked to each other, they have generated a climate of political instability, raising challenging questions for the government of Evo Morales. Netizens share videos, reports, and reactions to these protests.
May Day Videos: Marches, Demonstrations and Protests Around The World
Through cities around the globe, people took to the streets to march and commemorate the International Workers' Day. Videos by The Real News take us on a tour of how the day was observed throughout the world.
Colombia: Nationwide Demonstrations Mark May 1
Colombian workers took to the streets to commemorate May 1 and protest against the free trade agreement with the United States, the high rate of unemployment, low salaries compared to the high cost of living, among other topics. In this post we gather some citizen reports and reactions to the day.
Colombia: Telework Law or Microsoft Law?
lncognito wonders what is behind [es] the ‘telework law’ (Decreto 884 de 2012 [es], which regulates the Ley 1228 de 2008 [es]), signed by President Juan Manuel Santos at the...
India: Photo Essay On Working Mothers
Pattabi Raman’s photo essay on working mothers in parts of rural India is up at the International Museum for women. The photo essay highlights issues that are specific to women...
Panama Commemorates May 1 with Protests and Work
In Panama, the public holiday of Labour Day which falls on May 1 was moved to April 30 in order to give workers a long weekend. However, various labour unions decided to carry out acts of protest on May 1. Netizens share their reactions.
Cuba: Nothing Changes on May Day
Today, Cuba marks May Day, an occasion that is strongly linked to the concept of labour empowerment, as workers from various towns march with their colleagues to Plaza de la Revolución. National public service announcements about this year's parade state that it “will serve to demonstrate the people’s commitment to complying with the Communist Party’s economic and social reform guidelines.” But some bloggers are wondering whether anything has really changed in Cuba, despite the fact that self-employed workers will be taking part in the march for the first time.
May Day Marked Around the Arab World
May Day, or Labour Day, is commemorated in many Arab countries. In this post we look at some of the day's events this year: in Libya it became a national public holiday, in Bahrain demonstrations were attacked by riot police, and in Lebanon the website of the Ministry of Labour was hacked.
