South Korea unions are fighting back against the right-wing Yoon Suk-yeol government, reports Clive Tillman. Strikes are planned for July on the back of record-breaking May Day mobilisations.
strikes
French President Emmanuel Macron has decided at the last moment to impose his pension bill by decree, reports John Mullen.
A 9-day strike by 22,000 metalworkers in the Bay of Cadiz looked certain to continue dominating media coverage, writes Dick Nichols. Yet within 24 hours, the two sides announced they had reached an agreement.
In the United States, John Deere workers began militant strike action in the country’s mid-west in October, reports Malik Miah. They stood up against a powerful employer — and, when necessary, their own national union leadership — and won.
Spain is experiencing a wave of industrial unrest, as workers fight for secure jobs and to regain lost wages and conditions, reports Dick Nichols.
Thousands of workers are on strike in the United States, in what is being dubbed “Striketober”, reports Malik Miah.
Alex Salmon reviews Working Class History, a great tool for understanding how every gain workers and ordinary people have made has come through struggle.
Masses of Indonesian workers took strike action across the country on October 6–7 against a new employment law, writes Susan Price.
Filmmakers Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini have collaborated on a number of projects about significant, but lesser known, subjects in Australian history. Together, they have now brought one of the great hidden events of labour history in this country to the big screen.
The Great Strike 1917 retells the largely forgotten story of one of Australia's biggest industrial struggles and its impact on society.
British rail unions branded Transport for London (TfL) “barefaced liars" after its management attempted to claim minimum disruption during a 24-hour strike on November 3.
London Underground services were crippled by strike action called by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) over safety-critical job cuts.
All 11 of the London’s Tube lines were hit by the walkout. The action was the latest in a series of strikes over plans to axe up to 2000 jobs, including 800 station staff.
On October 20, 200 people gathered in the community of Kalkarindji to protest against the policies of the Northern Territory intervention, launched in 2007 by the Howard Coalition government.
Under the intervention, Aboriginal welfare recipients in the NT have half their pay “quarantined” onto a Basics Card, which can be used only in approved stores and only for food, clothing and medical supplies.
The political situation in France is dominated by the struggle against the proposed reform of the pension system to raise the age of retirement, among other things. This reform is at the heart of French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s austerity policy.
Although presented as a demographic necessity, it is increasingly opposed by the public.
The struggle has been growing since the start of the mobilisations in May and the first day of action in June. Since the beginning of September, three days of strikes and demonstrations have brought out about 3 million people on each occasion.
Workers and students mobilised in their millions on October 12 in the fourth and largest day of action in the past month against laws that will reduce workers’ pension entitlements.
The protests and strikes came as the Senate passed aspects of the pension bill that will see an increase in the retirement age from 60 to 62 years of age and increase the period of time workers must work to receive a full pension.
The protests show growing polarisation over who should pay the price for the economic crisis in the lead up to national strikes on October 16 and 19.
