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aawl mini news
 At
the start of this month, an explosion at the automotive parts factory
Zhongrong Plating in the industrial city of Kunshan, Jiangsu province, killed
at least 75 workers and injured another 200 workers. The explosion was
caused by the airborne dust in the factory which was ignited by sparks from
the machines in use. This explosion indicates that dust levels in the air
were at extreme levels. Apart from sudden explosions, dust is the main
contributor to the lung
disease pneumoconiosis, a disease that already affects over 6 million
Chinese workers. Tragedies like this once
again highlight the desperate need for genuine, independent
unions in China. |
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Israel’s
military assault on Palestinians in Gaza continues
Published 10 August 2014  This
week, a three day ceasefire took place that allowed Palestinians to find
and bury
their dead while also managing to restock on basic essentials. While much
of Gaza has been damaged, and almost 2,000 Palestinians killed, the
underlying issues behind this conflict are still unresolved. Thus,
Palestinians are still resisting against the continued
military assault of the Israeli army. Demonstrations in solidarity with
the Palestinians continue around the world, such as London,
Cape
Town, and Tel
Aviv among many other cities and countries. Click on the links for more information
and updates.Stop the bombardment Lift the siege and blockade of Gaza Free all Palestinian prisoners |
 Last
week, in a dramatic sequence of events, oil pipelines under suburban streets
of the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung exploded, see video. The blasts
killed 28 people and injured another 300. The pipeline was owned by a local
petrochemical firm, LCY Chemical. Initial investigations have already
confirmed that the company never carried out safety
inspection works and did not initiate any safety measures when they
noticed that the gas pressures inside the pipeline were dropping, indicating
a major leak. The company’s total disregard for the health and safety of its
workers and their families is another indication of company’s relentless
drive of profits over workers lives. |
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Published
10 August 2014
 As reported
last week, the dispute over unpaid wages for workers employed by the
Tuba group of companies has entered its second week. Workers are
continuing their hunger strike and actions
amid continual harassment and repression by police
and goons
and the arrests of some of the labour organisers involved in the dispute. The
workers seem
to have won some of their demands over unpaid wages, but many other
claims remain not settled. A
solidarity rally was held last Friday in Melbourne, Australia. |
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Revolutionary
groups in Syria continue to resist - Solidarity Day 21st August
Published 10 August 2014  With the
uprising in Syria now merging with the unrest in Iraq, working class and left
organisations and communities, continue to resist attacks from all kinds of
reactionary and imperialist forces. Although weakened, the revolutionary
movement is still present in
Syria with public shows of resistance, see here
and here,
and the creation of a new revolutionary
armed resistance group. Syrian Kurds are also defending
their gains. Activists in the region understand that the conflict in
Syria, Iraq and Palestine are all connected and are part of the same struggle. An international
day of solidarity with the revolutionary forces of Syria has been called for
the 21st of August. |
 While the military
is trying to legitimise its coup via the ratification of a new constitution, the
reality for most people is that the military is still intensifying its
repression. In an attempt to consolidate a climate of fear, the junta is now
closing community
radio stations. In the meantime there have been more people targeted like
Thanthawut
Taweewarodomkul, labour activists Andy
Hall, and Red Shirt activist Kritsuda Khunasen. This
coup is only the latest chapter in the struggle for democratic
and labour rights in Thailand. |
 As reported
previously, the fight by workers at NXP Semiconductors against the
sacking of the entire union leadership has now entered its 3rd month. The
workers are continuing to take
daily actions and support internationally continues to grow against this
company. NXP Semiconductors is part of the global
supply chain of another electronics colossus – Apple. Co-ordinated
industrial action by workers at other NXP
workplaces would be the most effective way to pressure the company to
reinstate the sacked 24 unionists.2 |
 The
union movement has a long history of being a part of the peace movement
because war primarily kills and affects workers
and their families. On the 6th and 9th of August 1945, the USA military
dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
Around 130,000 people perished immediately with another 90,000 dying by the
end of the year due to
radiation injuries. In Melbourne, the International Campaign against
Nuclear Weapons will be holding a peace
concert as well as a
conference on Australia’s involvement in the nuclear cycle. |
 Since being
awarded the 2022 Football World Cup, the West Asian country of Qatar has been
in the spotlight over its treatment
of migrant workers. This month, the government of Qatar did
not support an international agreement against forced labour, with some
other neighbouring countries also voting against the treaty. New reports
coming out from Qatar expose the vulnerable
living conditions for workers which leave some of them homeless. The
issue is that companies are making huge profits via the super
exploitation of these migrant workers. |
 The explosion at
the Soma
coal mine in May of this year that killed 301 workers, highlighted the
conditions that many Turkish workers find themselves in. The fight for compensation and
justice is an ongoing battle that is being pursued by surviving workers and
other unionists. In an ongoing dispute, workers that were dismissed for
joining a union at the pharmaceutical company Deva Holding, are continuing
with their struggle and receiving
international support. Unfortunately, this is not
an isolated case in Turkey. |
