Asia Pacific Currents

The Philippine working class has a history of militant actions and resistance against repressive governments and exploitative working conditions. The last three years under the Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte have been particularly hard.We talk with Elmer Labog, Chairperson of the militant labour union federation KMU, about the situation for workers in the Philippines and some of the ways that they organise and stay alive.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

International Women's Day (IWD) has been commemorated since 1908. It has always been a movement for women to gain rights and achieve equality in the economic, social and political fields. It is marked by rallies and actions every year around the world on the 8th of March.For this years IWD, APC brings you an interview with Zoe Xhao, a sociology student on issues of gender, digital labour and transnational social movements, looking at the issues facing the global women's movement.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

This week, the ongoing tensions over the government Citizenship Act, in conjunction with the nationalistic fervour unleashed by USA President Trump’s visit, spilled over in mass acts of violence that left whole neighbourhood burnt and close to 40 people dead. All reports indicate that the perpetrators of this violence were Hindu fascist militias with ties to the governing party of the BJP.APC spoke to Shivani Kaul, Political Activist with Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, about these riots, the response to them, and the political significance for the working class in India.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

Trade union repression is a global problem that affects all workers. In some countries, the repression is via beatings, arrests and murders. In other countries, it is via sackings, fines and anti union legislation. The ultimate aim is the same - weakening the power of workers.At a forum in Melbourne, Australia, on trade union repression, APC interviewed Thy Yann, the Secretary of the Building & Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC) on the issues facing construction workers in Cambodia. The interpreter is Rany.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia.

The long awaited 'deal of the century' by the current USA administration to resolve the Palestinian issue is nothing of the sort and is just a continuation of the ongoing dispossession of Palestinian lands and the the creation of a Greater Israel.We talk to Reem, a local Palestinian activist, about this supposedly new deal for Palestine, its significance, and its ramifications for the future.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

The last three years of the Government of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines is increasingly bringing back memories of the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970's and 80's. Pres Duterte has unleashed a terror campaign via unleashing death squads and granting total impunity to police and the army. Tens of thousands of working class people and activists have been killed. Nevertheless, as under the Marcos regime, opposition to this terror is continuing in the Philippines. We talk to Renato Reyes, the Secretary General of BAYAN Philippines, on the current situation in the Philippines, the level of opposition to President Duterte, and how solidarity activists can support their comrades in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

Australia’s national holiday, 26 January, is Invasion Day. It commemorates the start of the British invasion in 1788 and the dispossession and genocide of that land’s First Nations peoples. Aboriginal people have resisted this from the beginning and their resistance continues today. For many decades, Aboriginal people were forced to labour or had their wages stolen. Under the theme of ‘Abolish Australia Day’, demonstrations calling for a stop to the ongoing exploitation, repression and injustice that First Nations peoples and communities still endure occurred all around Australia. APC spoke to Tarneen Onus-Williams from the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) about these events.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

For the last two and a half months Iraq has experienced mass protests against corruption, exploitation and poverty by millions of people from working class communities. Notwithstanding heavy repression by the IRaqi government and associated militias that have killed more than 400 protestors, the uprising is still continuing demanding the resignation of the whole Iraqi political class.We interviewed Nadia Mahmood, an Iraqi socialist, on these mass working class uprisings that started in early October, the reasons behind such protests, the dynamics and its effect on Iraqi society.This episode is the last show of APC for 2019. Pier and Jiselle would like to wish all our listerners a safe and happy Christmas and New Year break.APC first episode for 2020 will be on Saturday February 1.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

We usually do the year's round up of stories and issues affecting workers in the Asia Pacific region on our last program of the year but this year we did it a week earlier because of interviewing scheduling issues.So, labour updates of the week's stories but also what has happened in the last year.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

The shipping industry around the world is one of the most globalised sectors on the world economy, dominated by global companies that have terminals in multiple countries. It is characterised by a fierce global race to the bottom in terms of wages and conditions as companies try to continually shorten the time it takes to upload and download containers.APC interviewed Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Victorian organiser, Aarin Moon about the ongoing struggles of dock workers against the global stevedoring companies of ICTSI and Hutchinson attempts to increase the intensification of work and cut pay and conditionsAsia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia