<div align="center"><strong><u><font color="#3366ff">News from Around the Region</font></u></strong></div>
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<div><u><font color="#ff0000">Tawan</font></u></div>
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<div>According to an investigative report conducted by the Children's Welfare Association in Taiwan, 66% of the working mothers surveyed said they feel heavily burdened and need more support from the society to help them raise their children. Among these working mothers, 76% said their biggest wish is to spend more time with their children, 46% wished to have successful careers, and 37% hoped that they did not need to worry about their children's tuition.
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<div><u><font color="#ff0000">Cambodia</font></u></div>
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<div>Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday his government is pushing ahead with a planned amendment of the labor law to reduce nighttime pay for garment factory workers, who are paid twice as much as those on the day shift.
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<p>He said the move is crucial for creating more jobs in an industry, a major hard-currency earner for the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.</p>
<p>The country currently has 300 garment factories that employ 355,000 workers. But only about 10 of the factories run night shifts because the higher pay is a "disincentive," said Ken Loo, secretary-general of Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia.
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<p>He said lowering nighttime payment will not only create more jobs at the factories but will also increase peripheral economic activities for those operating transport and selling food to the workers at night.</p>
<div><u><font color="#ff0000">Pakistan</font></u></div>
<div><u></u> All Pakistan Trade Union Federation strongly condemned the removal of Chief Justice Iftekhar Mohammad Chowdary by President Musharraf and curtailing of his freedom of movement by putting him under house arrest has resulted in an unprecedented protest from lawyers, workers and people around the country. Bar associations, lawyers and working class all over Pakistan extremely support chief justice.
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<p>The outpouring of support for the Chief Justice was merely an expression of the enormous frustration the people have felt by the continuous suppression of all freedoms by the military regime and particularly the consistent attack on the independence of the judiciary. It was a worst judicial crisis in Pakistan.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b><u><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><font color="#ff0000">Korean</font></span></u></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- A group of top unionized civil servants offered to resign Thursday amid a growing dispute over whether their labor union should become a legalized
body.The Korean Government Employees' Union (KGEU) was launched in 2002, but they have yet to register with the Labor Ministry, which they believe will not provide them with rights equal to those of other labor organizations.
<br>The union has been embroiled in internal fighting as one quarter of its 186 local chapters decided to take steps to become independent legalized labor entities.<br>"Our comrades who have shared joy and sorrow are directing violence and abusive language against each other, only because they have different opinions over how to surmount a crisis in our organization," said the 10 members of the KGEU's executive council in a statement posted on the organization's in-house communication network.
<br>The council is a 30-member decision-making body.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><b><u><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><font color="#ff0000">Chaina</font></span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">This power imbalance between owners and workers in China means that almost 200 million Chinese workers go to bed every night in overcrowded dormitory rooms after having worked eighteen-hour days in Dickensian factories where some employees are literally worked to death. The phenomenon has even added a new word to the Mandarin vocabulary:
<i>guolaosi</i>, or overwork death, where fatigued workers fall off their stools bleeding from the ears, nose and anus. <b><u></u></b></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><b><u><span style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><font color="#ff0000">Japan</font>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">A record 205 individuals qualified for workers' accident compensation insurance in fiscal 2006 after being diagnosed with depression and other psychological disorders brought about by work-related stress, the health ministry said Wednesday.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">The figure, which is about 1.6 times that of the previous year, offers the strongest indication yet that despite better economic conditions, life for the average Japanese worker has not improved substantially
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<font color="#ff6666">Vietnam</font></span></u></b><u><span style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></span></u></p>
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Vietnam</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="COLOR: #111111; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">: Farm-workers' union members remain in jail</span></b>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #fafafa; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 15.6pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="COLOR: #999999; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">May 15th, 2007 by
<a title="View user profile." href="http://libcom.org/user/jef-costello"><span style="COLOR: #2763a5; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">jef costello</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="COLOR: #111111; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #fafafa; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 15.6pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="COLOR: #111111; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Five organisers from the independent United Workers-Farmers Organization, were arrested and remain in prison.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #fafafa; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 15.6pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="COLOR: #111111; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">In Vietnam independent unions are illegal, Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Tran Thi Le Hang, Doan Huy Chuong and his father Doan Van Dien were arrested in November last year, a month after the organisation was launched. Tran Quoc Hien was arrested in January this year after his election as a spokesman for the UWFO.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #fafafa; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 15.6pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="COLOR: #111111; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The union has tried to demand safer and better working conditions and an end to corruption and land seizures.
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<font color="#ff0000">Vietnam</font></span></u></b><u><span style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></span></u></p>
<h3 style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 3pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">Dynamic outsourcing shows urgent need for policy<span style="COLOR: #343974"></span></span></h3>
<h4 style="MARGIN: 12pt 0cm 3pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">May 16, 2007</span></h4>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union is renewing its calls for government to change its approach to manufacturing following the announcement of 200 job losses at Christchurch-based high-tech manufacturer Dynamic Controls.
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<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">The job losses are the result of the company's decision to send its mobility and respiratory manufacturing divisions to China and are likely to impact on most of the 61 EPMU members who work at the company.
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<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little says the closure of Dynamic shows more needs to be done to maintain New Zealand's manufacturing sector.
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<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">"Like Fisher and Paykel, Dynamic is a company that has based itself around high skills and innovation and yet they're in the process of moving offshore. We need to look at an approach to manufacturing that offers more than platitudes about 'Kiwi know-how' and focuses on the real reasons manufacturing is struggling in
New Zealand.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">"We're expecting the select committee inquiry into monetarism to address some of these issues but when a sector that provides a quarter of a million jobs has coherent framework let alone ministerial representation the problems will continue."
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<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'">The EPMU is New Zealand's largest manufacturing union.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><b><u><span style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><font color="#ff0000">Sri Lanka</font>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Thousands suffer as health workers go on strike
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><b><i><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">By Sandun A Jayasekera</span></i></b>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Health care activities at Colombo National Hospital and other General Hospitals in the country were crippled yesterday when health employees staged a half day token strike to protest the introduction of Finger Sensing Machines to register the arrival and departure at their work places.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">However Colombo National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasingha told the Daily Mirror that he managed to maintain essential patient care services with the help of available doctors, para medical staff, nurses and some minor employees,.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">"The OPD and the ICU functioned at almost a normal level and food was provided to indoor patients with the assistance of some relatives of the patients," Dr. Weerasingha said.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><b><u><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><font color="#ff0000">Indonesia</font></span></u>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">The Jakarta Post</span></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
, Jakarta</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Tens of thousands of workers staged noisy rallies in major cities throughout
Indonesia on Tuesday to mark International Labor Day and to voice a number of demands around welfare improvement and work safety.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">But each of their demands -- which included making a public holiday of May Day, safer working conditions, hikes in basic wages and tax exemptions for low-income families -- was turned down by the government.
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<h2 style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 12pt 0cm 3pt"><em><u><font color="#ff0000"><span lang="EN" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'; mso-ansi-language: EN">Malaysia</span><span lang="EN" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'; mso-ansi-language: EN">
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<h2 style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 12pt 0cm 3pt"><span lang="EN" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Angsana New'; mso-ansi-language: EN"><em>Union-busting at BAT Malaysia</em></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"><br>Starting in September 2006, British American Tobacco (BAT) has launched two initiatives intended to seriously undermine the negotiating power of the 44-year old BAT (
Malaysia) Employees' Union (BATEU). The key weapon in this union-busting drive is job reclassification of employees to "management" status, because under Malaysian labour law managers are ineligible for union membership. Similar tactics have been used to radically reduce union membership by other TNCs including Nestl
</span><span lang="TH" style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Angsana New'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial">é</span><span lang="EN" style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN">
and Coca-Cola in the Asia/Pacific region.</span><span lang="EN" style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"><u><font color="#ff0000" size="2">Thailand</font></u> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b><span lang="EN" style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN">Thai Gem-Polishing Firm Again Bringing Labour Problems to the Fore
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"><span lang="EN" style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN">
A gem-polishing dispute that saw intense ICEM involvement in 2001 has flared again at Almond Jewellery in Bangkok. The New York-based jewellery exporter locked out 254 workers on 9 April. <br><br>Workers are in protest over the firing of two key leaders of the plant-level union, which occurred in September 2006, and management's refusal to enter into to obligatory social talks over renewed labour terms. Workers began picketing the factory on 17 April. On 19 April, 200 of Almond's workers marched to the Government House in
Bangkok and presented a petition. They were joined by trade union leaders from ICEM's Thai-affiliated unions. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: TH">
<strong><u><font color="#ff0000">SINGAPORE</font></u></strong></span></p></div>
<div align="center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: TH"></span>
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: TH"> A Singapore opposition politician on Sunday started his walk across the city-state as part of his party's activities to highlight the plight of Singaporean workers on May Day.
<br><br>Chee Soon Juan, secretary general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and his sister, Chee Siok Chin, began their walk under the rain at a park bordering the financial district just after 6:00 am (2200 GMT).<br>
<br>"It's very alarming that our workers can be paid the amount that they are paid and ministers continue to lavish themselves with such salaries," Chee told AFP before he began his walk.<br><br>"Workers here are still very much exploited," he added.
<br><br>Wearing a T-shirt with the words "Walking For Our Workers" on the back, Chee said he did not expect authorities to stop them, as the walk involved less than five people.<br><br>Public protests of five or more people in
Singapore require a police permit.<br><br>The pair expect to complete the 150-kilometre (93-mile) journey by Tuesday, which is international labour day, or May Day, Chee said.<br><br style="mso-special-character: line-break">
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