Stories about Labor from August, 2008
Bangladesh: Working in the Gulf
Reflections on migrants going to work in the Gulf, while waiting at the airport at unearthly hour at D is for Dhaka.
China: Iphone Girl
Dedric Lam from Shanghaiist reports on how the Iphone Girl story has been traveled back to China. Local netizens have created a website for her, iphonegirl.cn, and urged netizens not to human-flesh search and publish her personal data.
Lebanon: Maid is Lebanese for Slave
How are some housemaids or domestic helpers being treated in Lebanon? Nash Suleiman sums up the reactions of Lebanese bloggers to this tragedy, following the release of a report on the situation by Human Rights Watch.
Cambodia: Sex workers, 100% condom use and human rights
Cambodian sex workers have taken to the internet to make their plight and fight for human rights better known. In Cambodia, a 100% condom use law which states that sexual exchanges with clients have to take place with condoms on sounds like a good idea, but it has been turned against those it is supposed to protect, by being used as a means to imprison sex workers, using the fact that they carry condoms with them as evidence for them doing sex work.
Brazil: Longer maternity leave causes media outcry
A law that extends paid maternity leave from 120 to 180 days has just been signed by Brazilian President Lula. Private companies will be able to opt out, but the government will grant tax breaks to those that adopt it. Altamiro Borges [pt] comments on the outcry: “the hegemonic media,...
Grenada: Thinking About Poverty
Letters from Grenada blogs about everything from education to land use as part of Blog Action Day 2008.
India: Stopped trains in Kerala leave passengers stranded
The following video uploaded by YouTube user peshaku shows irate commuters at the Angamali railway station in the southern Indian province of Kerala after they have been stranded due to a particular type of protest where workers cease operations. This phenomenon is called Harthal (Hartal) and it has become a constant problem in Kerala.
Japan: Foreign Population
Adam from Mutant frog blogs about the increase of foreign population on Japan society.
Saudi Arabia: Is a housemaid necessary?
For many who live in the Gulf, employing a housemaid is a normal part of life. One Saudi blogger who prefers not to has been facing much criticism.
Russia: Involuntary Help to Ossetia
St. Petersburg-based LJ user murenav writes (RUS): “I understand it's not easy for the people of Ossetia now. I understand they need help. But helping them should be voluntary, I think, and come from one's heart. But… My mother works at a medical institution [in Russia], and when salaries were...
Haiti: Restavèk
“The restavèk practice essentially throws away the lives of children and along with them Haiti’s future”: jmc strategies maintains that no matter how you slice it, “the practice of ‘lending’ a child away to go and live with well-off families” is still a form of slavery.
Georgia, Russia: “What's Next?”
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev announced the end of the so-called "peace enforcement" operation yesterday. LJ user varfolomeev66 asked this question on his blog: "What's next?"
Saudi Arabia: Slavery in the Gulf
Two weeks ago there were strikes and violent demonstrations by Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait, protesting low pay and poor working conditions. Following the demonstrations, more than two hundred workers were deported. In this post, two Saudi bloggers tell us what they think of modern-day ‘slavery’ in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf.
Yemen: Rich Fishery Resources
Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad writes about his country's rich fisheries resources. “Exploited wisely and in a sustainable manner, the fish industry can be very profitable and good for the country,” he cautions.
Arabeyes: Female, single, and away from home?
For many single Arab women, to live and work or study away from their family is not a choice made easily, because of fear of 'what people will say'. A number of bloggers from around the Arab world have voiced their frustration recently at the obstacles single women face.
Philippines: Charcoal factory
Filipino jounalist and blogger Iris Cecilia Gonzales posts an article and several pictures about a make-shift charcoal factory in Manila.
Albania: A muslim country?
A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court discusses the changing role of religion in Albanian society, claiming that “after thousands of years of changing religious affiliations by Albanians in response to their circumstances, […] for the first time in Albanian history, fundamentalists of all stripes are intentionally taking actions to...
Russia: Sexual harassment good for babymaking?
Natalia Antonova comments on the case of a Russian judge who dismissed charges of sexual harassment against an empolyer saying that “it is needed for the continuation of the human race”. Eternal Remont also gave his two cents on the strange ruling.
Haiti: Child Labour
“Child slavery in Haiti may be the ultimate symbol of a state that has failed its most vulnerable members”: jmc strategies says that “key to ending child slavery in Haiti is creating long-term economic options for parents and access to quality education for children.”
Eastern Europe: Trafficking with no end in sight
Natalia Antonova reflects upon a problem “that won't go away” – human trafficking, and comments on an article about the issue from The New Yorker.
Russia: Who is Fit for Civil Service?
Eternal Remont posts an ironic comment, based on a Financial Times article, about the new drive in Russia to find suitable civil servants.
