· January, 2008

Stories about Labor from January, 2008

Iraq: Respect Women

  18 January 2008

Hala S, an Iraqi who lives in the UK, relates an incident which made the following thought ring true: “There will be no democracy and no freedom in the Middle East till men learn how to respect women and look at them as partners not inferiors”.

Iran:Open letter to Chavez from Iranian labour activists

  18 January 2008

Militant has published an open letter to President Hugo Chavez from Iranian labour and student activists. Chavez was asked to use his close relation with Iranian president,Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,to help more than 40 jailed students and labour activists,to be released from prison.

Uzbekistan: Labor Migrants

  17 January 2008

Libertad writes about the problems Uzbek migrant workers face while working in foreign countries, refers to a report by an NGO on migrant workers and uploads photos of migrant labor workers leaving Uzbekistan in barrack-like buses.

Russia: Xenophobia Blogging

  15 January 2008

There seems to be more and more posts on xenophobia in the Russian blogosphere. Many are written by xenophobes, while some are written about them. Below are two recent examples of xenophobia blogging.

China 2007: Part2

  11 January 2008

Here is a personal roundup of what marked mainland China's 2007, a year of controversies, changes, desperation but also hopes.

Egypt: Chinese Goods

  10 January 2008

Chinese goods are swamping markets worldwide. Egyptians now have to deal with roving Chinese salesmen and women knocking on their doors. Tarek Amr brings us the story.

Anguilla: Dolphin Pros & Cons

  10 January 2008

“We would all have heard by now that the Ministers have agreed to give the ‘swim with the dolphins’ company a licence…for their new facility”: Corruption-free Anguilla raises some questions.

China 2007: Online

  5 January 2008

In 2007, the internet performed as a platform on which people fulfilled what they might not be able to fully enjoy in the reality --- the freedom of speech, the public participation and the pursuit of justice. In China, the internet was a copy, an extension of the real world. To know about the former, you might know about the latter.

Hong Kong and China: Labour Rights

  2 January 2008

Fons from China Herald notices the change of attitude in China Labour Bulletin with the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). It seems that the Han Dong Fang is prepared to work with the Chinese official union on labour rights.

Guatemala: Migrants and the Holidays

  2 January 2008

The holidays are a time for families to gather and share in one another's company. In Guatemala, many have relatives that have migrated outside of the country for better opportunities and as a result, many are not able to return to Guatemala or deportations have separated loved ones. For those that are able to and choose to return home, the sights at airports are memorable.