Workers

The sector drives the Bangladeshi economy with 85% of total exports and a related industry worth 47 billion dollars. However, many workers are demanding payment of numerous months of arrears and bonuses linked to the festival celebrating the end of Ramadan. The empty promises of company management, with the police repressing the demonstrations.

In the country devastated by more than 10 years of war, there are very young children, even 13-year-olds, driving taxis or public transport. The hope of earning even small amounts of money to support impoverished families. UN: the crisis triggered by the conflict ‘has disproportionately and devastatingly affected women and girls’.

The island of Java is the most affected, where there has been a significant impact on the production sector. Among the companies in crisis is the clothing giant PT Sritex, with about 11 thousand layoffs in various departments and the non-payment of compensation since last August. The government is promising action but the 5% growth target for the first quarter of 2025 could be missed.

From education to the oil industry, discontent is growing among workers, who are demanding better wages and working conditions. Declining energy and a poor economy are sinking prospects for recovery, in a country already affected by Western sanctions. The cost of essential goods and services has increased by up to 40 per cent in recent months. Pressure is growing on the Pezeshkian administration.

The China Labour Bulletin posted some videos from Chinese social media showing workers fainting from the gruelling shifts at the Foxconn plant in conjunction with the release of its new smartphone models. Overtime can reach up to four times the limit established by Chinese law.

For the first time in Japan, a local government issued an ordinance against harassment of workers. The action was prompted by cases of suicide and mental illness among victims of this kind of abuse.

The city-state that awaits the arrival of Pope Francis has for the first time launched a retraining plan for low and middle-level professional workers, who are most exposed today to the hardships created by the economic upheavals linked to international crises. From April 2025, subsidies of 6,000 Singapore dollars for six months, accompanied by training activities.

To date there are 2.59 million people without employment in the country, with a particular incidence in the younger segments of the population. The figure of those who expatriate to complete their studies or better professional opportunities continues to grow. The local church's commitment to education, starting with technical institutes.

The number of women seeking work abroad continues to rise: from 40 percent in the pre-pandemic period to 46 percent in 2023. The main destination remains the Middle East, where they find employment mainly as domestic workers. The government is trying to reverse this trend, but still more than a thousand choose to expatriate every month.

Despite Myanmar’s conflict, many Sri Lankans still travel to the former Burma in search of work but end up victims in trafficking networks. At least 40 have been freed recently, but dozens more are still captive. The authorities urge Sri Lankans, often vainly, to look for work at agencies registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE).

Protesting are workers who belong to the main union, which associates a quarter of the 125,000 employees. They are demanding wage increases, but also improvements on holidays and leave. No response so far from the company, which plays down the impact. Meanwhile, there is also a clash in Seoul over the minimum wage, which employers would like to see remain firm despite inflation.

The regulation approved by the Diet overcomes the current employment system that ended up favouring abuses. A new attempt to counter the labour shortage. Increased flexibility is provided by reduced timeframes and favoured access to qualified positions: it will be possible to leave unprofitable and discriminating positions.