At 5:20 PM on June 2, 2010, Edward Panganiban, a Filipino union activist of a Japanese company Takata, was killed. Activists in the Philippines issued an international appeal calling for union activists around the world to support their campaign and protest against this killing. The appeal says, “The death

Theaters in Japan have decided to cancel the screenings of “The Cove” one after another, a documentary film that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. This is seemingly due to some right-wing groups’ protest by phone and propaganda activities, and such a situation is very similar to when t

In Toyoko Inn Co., Ltd., which runs 200 economy hotels in Japan, full-time female employees in charge of reception and room service formed the “Toyoko Inn Union”. They cannot take a nap or rest despite that they have to work in a 25-hour shift. They have to work very long overtime hours without pay, and t

On June 1, 2010, six labor organizations and NGOs in Hong Kong issued an international appeal and called for web signatures in order to support Honda workers in China who went on strike for demanding pay rises. The strike had continued for sixteen days and many assembly factories of Honda were obliged to shut

In the rain, the demonstration of furor did not break for 18 minutes. On May 28 when the Japanese and US governments released a joint statement for the relocation of Futenma Air Base to Henoko, Nago City, protest rallies were held in the cities of Naha and Nago against the Japan-US agreement. "The Japan-US ag

"Raise the fees!" "Ten thousand yen for 400 characters!" "No more tolerance for their treatment of freelancers as disposable items!" These voices echoed in the gloaming around Jimbocho, Tokyo. On May 25, freelancers working in the publishing industry staged a demonstration to appeal about their plight. The wo