Stories about Labor from June, 2012
Japan: Generational Gap of Hope in Tough Economy
Japan’s younger working generation are leading a very different life from their parents, who prospered in the ‘Bubble Economy’ of the 1980s and 1990s. This generation consumes less, works under stricter conditions, and have less ‘hope’ of their future. Here a working woman in Japan narrates her uneasiness towards her parents’ generation and the society built by them.
El Salvador: Citizens of Mejicanos Protest Construction of Walmart Store
Voices from El Salvador reports: “This past Thursday civil society organizations, international solidarity groups, students, and community associations came together to protest the construction of a mega Walmart store in Mejicanos, a municipality in northern San Salvador.” In a stament, organizers say that communities must be consulted about these projects.
Hong Kong: Maid's Toilet and Bedroom
Local newspaper exposed that a popular children songs singer Purple Lee has put her migrant domestic maid to live in a room where there is a bed and a toilet bowl. Dictionary of politically incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese has translated netizens’ reaction to the news.
Bolivia: Police Mutiny Over Higher Wages
Tension escalated today, Friday, June 22, in Bolivia as more than 4 thousand low-ranked police units joined a mutiny that began the day before demanding higher wages. Netizens are reporting from different Bolivian cities on Twitter under the hashtag #MotínPolicial [es].
South Korea: Taxi Drivers’ Mass Strike
Net user GI Drop wrote about recent taxi drivers’ mass strike in South Korea. And many comments followed the post in the ROK Drop blog.
Nepal: Justice For Amar Bahadur Bam
Nepali worker Amar Bahadur Bam was wrongly accused and convicted for a crime in Dubai in 2003 and was tortured to give a false confession. He is currently on a death row and his family had no knowledge of him for years. Save Amar Bahadur is a Facebook campaign which...
Nicaragua: The Continued Struggle to End Child Labor
It hasn't been easy to try and stop child labor in Nicaragua. While some families are seeing value in getting their children educated and are responding to awareness campaigns, for others child labor is the way they keep their families afloat.
Oman: Arrests of Rights Activists Continue
Human Rights activists in Oman are being targeted by authorities amid world silence. Omanis take to their keyboards the keep their struggle alive, writes Mona Kareem, who brings us the latest from Oman.
Mozambique: A train journey tweeted in photos
Mozambican journalist Hermínio José Doce has been tweeting a train journey in southern Mozambique. His photos document the way charcoal vendors arrive in the city of Maputo, supplying residents with cooking fuel.
South Korea: Petitions Signed to Remove a Network TV President
It has been almost four months since South Korea's biggest network TV, MBC, went on an indefinite strike against censorship on news contents and the company president's multiple allegations. Starting from May 31, 2012, MBC union workers have started gathering citizens’ signatures to pressure the president to resign. One twitter...
Brazil: Expropriation Approved for Slave Labor Properties
In order to combat slave labor, the Brazilian Congress recently approved Bill 438, which guarantees the immediate expropriation of rural or urban areas, without the right to compensation, where one proves the existence of slave labor or similar forms of exploitation of manpower in them.
