Stories about Labor from July, 2010
Qatar: Expats Question Future Plans
If you are a long term resident in one of the GCC countries, what are your long-term plans? What will you do when you return home? At Qatar Living, expatriates attempt to answer the inevitable question: What will you do when you return home?
Bangladesh: Minimum Wages Raised In Garments Sector
After long protests and bargaining with the employers and the workers, the Bangladesh Government has decided to raise the minimum wages to Tk. 3000 per month ($44) which is approximately double of the current minimum wages. Bloggers discuss how this impacts the workers and the industry.
India: Shortage Of Nepali Labors In Himachal Pradesh
Nityin at Himachal Live blog reports that the farmers in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh are facing problems as there is a shortage of Nepali migrant labors in this year's pick Apple season.
Saudi Arabia: Dear Moron
In Saudi Arabia, all businesses shut down during prayer times. Ahmed Al-Omran sends out the following tweet: “Dear moron at post office who refused to serve me b/c “it's prayer time,” 1) u r a disgrace to this religion, & 2) I paid for this service.”
Taiwan: Foxconn and the shame of Taiwan
After 12 employees’ jump of buildings and one more jump in Chimei Innolux Corporation-a subsidiary company of Foxconn-on July 20, Chairman Terry (Tai-Ming) Gou was criticized by Taiwanese scholars as “the shame of Taiwan”, so he threatens to halt all investment in Taiwan. Blogger and book writer Kue-hsien Liao argues that...
Singapore: Immigration compared with other countries
Blowin’ in the Wind reviews a report comparing Singapore emigration and immigration with other countries. The report notes that Singapore has the highest immigration rate in Asia Pacific after Hong Kong.
Panama: Questioning Strength of Panamanian Democracy After Protests Against Law 30 and Martinelli
Pilar Chato writes [es] for the blog Oye about the recent violent protests by banana plantation workers in Bocas del Toro that lasted nine days and, as she reports, left “700 detained, hundreds injured and various dead.” She goes on to say that protests against the government of Ricardo Martinelli have escalated:...
Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand
Ladprao 64 writes about the situation of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand and the role of the two governments in facilitating the welfare of the workers. The blogger also describes the difficulty in sending remittances from Thailand to Myanmar
Moldova: Shutting out the world
Morning in Moldova argues that Moldovans only look east to Russia and west to the European Union, in the process mentally shutting out the rest of the world.
Sri Lanka: Hiring People
Netpreneur at Entrepreneur Musings talks about the challenges of hiring people for a new startup in Sri Lanka.
Japan: Basic English skills, a must for today's workers
In a post titled English necessary for today’s Japanese workers? [en] Adumu at Mutantfrog reflects on a recent debate on the state of English in Japan.
Iran: Bazaars Closed for Business as Merchant Strikes Continue
Merchant strikes in the main bazaar of Tehran have entered a second week in protest of higher taxes. Several citizen journalists reported this event, while official media keeps silent and tries to ignore one of the most important strikes in 30 years.
Philippines: Discrimination Against Filipinos in Baltimore Hospital
Four Filipina staffers of the Bon Secours Baltimore Health System in Baltimore City were recently fired from their jobs for speaking Filipino during their lunch break. Bloggers share their views on the issue.
Singapore: Discrimination against obese health workers
Ravi Philemon writes about the reported discrimination against overweight health workers in Singapore
Xenophobic Singapore?
In a blogpost titled Xenophobic Singapore, blogger Freak Thoughts traces the history of the city state to remind Singaporeans not to discriminate against Chinese immigrants.
Mexico: Interview with Migrant Worker from Michoacan
Hugo Torres shares [es] his interview with Ricardo, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Michoacán who moved to the United States when he was 19. He asks Ricardo everything from what it's like to cross over to the United States, how much money he makes at his job, and what he...
Brazil: High Index on Work Stress
A recent survey by Isma Brazil (International Stress Management Association) reveals that 30% of the economically active population of Brazil has already reached a burn out point at work, coming in just behind Japan. The reasons presented are long journeys, fear of dismissal and absence of a balance between effort...
Palestine: Gaza to Eilat and Back
At the Sabbah Report, Omar Gharaieb shares the experiences of M.K., who went on a ‘trip’ from Gaza to Eilat and back in this post.
Egypt: Rehabilitation for Police Officers?
Egyptian Mostafa writes: “Since change from the top seems unlikely. Civil society should establish programs to reach out and provide alternative career options for current police officers who are willing to leave their jobs.”
Indonesia: Kretek cigarettes banned in the U.S.
The Kretek cigarette industry in Indonesia will be adversely affected by the looming United States ban on flavoured tobacco products. Rob Baiton writes about the impact of the ban on the welfare of workers in the industry
Guinea Bissau: Unfair Trading Promotes Poverty
A mini documentary titled Quem Paga? [Who Pays?, pt] featuring the production of cashew in Guinea Bissau – one of the five poorest countries in the world – unmasks the cycle of poverty being fueled by Western consumers, while demanding fair trade to put an end to poverty.
