Migrant workers television (MWTV) from South Korea reported today about following latest alarming development: "In the midst of the increasing crackdown on migrant workers, MTU (Migrant Worker's Trade Union) President (Kajiman), Vice president (Raju) and General Secretary (Masum) were all arrested at 9:30 am this morning (November 27) in front of their homes/workplaces. They were arrested without any formal charges and are being held at detention center in Cheongju.."

China Labour Bulletin wholeheartedly adds its voice to the local and international condemnation of the recent attacks on a migrant workers' centre in Shenzhen, and calls for the local police to thoroughly investigate the case and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Dagongzhe Centre in the Longgang district of Shenzhen has been vandalized and staff intimidated by groups of thugs in three separate incidents over the last two months, the most serious of which occurred on 20 November, when Dagongzhe lawyer, Huang Qingnan, was attacked and grievously injured by two men with knives. The attackers escaped and a week later Huang was still in a serious condition in hospital.

On Saturday November the 17th, a new campaign in the cleaning sector of the Netherlands has started. It’s an initiative from the trade union, but unlike in other union campaigns, this time the cleaners themselves will take action. It is David against Goliath , only 7% of the cleaners are organised, fighting against some of the biggest cleaning companies in Europe. The cleaners need all the help they can get. We, social organisations involved with the campaign, call out to all people concerned with social justice, to help us make this campaign a success. Join us, participate, come to the campaign launch on Saturday November 17th or subscribe to the newsletter below.

Amnesty International has published a report on the situation of migrant workers in China: "Internal migrant workers in China are paying the cost of the country’s economic "miracle". Most find themselves denied their rights -- shut out of the healthcare system and state education, living in appalling, overcrowded conditions and routinely exploited by their employers. An estimated 150-200 million Chinese rural workers are currently living and working in cities and that number is expected to continue to grow. While they make up the majority of the population in some cities, they are treated as an urban underclass discriminated against under the hukou (household registration) system, which requires them to register with local authorities as temporary residents."

Der Prozess der Prekarisierung, also die fortschreitende Entsicherung der Arbeits- und Lebensverhältnisse, hat in den letzten Jahren bzw. Jahrzehnten neue soziale Fragmentierungen hervorgebracht, die häufig mit einem niedrigen Organisationsgrad der Arbeitenden einhergehen. Dadurch scheint auch der gesellschaftliche Vertretungsanspruch jener Institutionen brüchig zu werden, die - wie z.B. die Gewerkschaften - historisch die zentralen AkteurInnen bezüglich Organisierung und Interessenvertretung der Arbeitenden waren.

Im Rahmen der Tagung "Let's Organize!" werden internationale Erfahrungen mit neuen Formen der Organisierung und Interessenvertretung im Spannungsverhältnis zwischen sozialen Bewegungen und Gewerkschaften diskutiert.

HOUSTON--On the heels of a string of victories in Miami, Los Angeles and Boston that have resulted in dramatic gains for workers and their families, more than 5,300 janitors in Houston won higher wages, more hours, and health insurance in their first city-wide union contract. The contract will lift hundreds of janitors out of poverty, more than doubling their income within 24 months and guaranteeing secure affordable health care. Houston is the second major victory for janitors in less than a year, and is being seen as a major breakthrough in the South and for low-wage workers around the country.

Berlin Update: On Wednesday November 8th almost 50 of us participated in a strong action against 3 Hines related properties. We made an action tour and picketed a bank, a hotel and the Hines headquarters. We were activists from different collectives, unionists from Verdi (German Trade Union) and also representatives from the London and Australian justice for janitors campaigns. The Berlin police was a pain in the ass but we were able to make ourselves heard.

Justice for Janitors in Houston www.houstonjanitors.org

Thousands of migrant cleaners are on strike in Houston, the 4th most important city in the US - and Bush territory. The cleaners, many of whom are migrants from Mexico, clean the majority of Houston's office buildings. They receive the lowest wages and benefits of any major city in the U.S -- only 4,16€ per hour and no health insurance coverage while cleaning the most important oil companies' headquarters in the world and the most important global real-estate corporations.

Cleaning companies recently threatened to deport undocumented cleaners who support the strike to break union efforts (Texas has one of the harshest political climates, i.e. anti-labour and anti-migrant).

Take Action to Support Striking South African Cleaners!

Hold Multinational Corporations Accountable for Cleaners’ Poverty Wages!

On September 13th, cleaners and supporters in New York, London, Hamburg, Sao Paolo, the Hague, Sydney, Chicago, Boston and other cities will take action to support South African office cleaners who have been on strike for more than one month.

Cleaners will conduct a “Day of Global Action” aimed at convincing wealthy multinational corporations like Bayer, J.P. Morgan and KPMG to take immediate steps to improve the wages of South African janitors who clean their facilities.

We expect our support actions to continue and to grow in more cities until South African cleaners win their struggle. So please pass on the word and help us organize more global support.

Edward Morrison used to be a packing house worker at Smithfield Foods' plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina. His job was to flip 250-pound hog carcasses, and then line them up for the next worker to handle. Smithfield expected Edward to handle 500 of them every hour, working at an inhuman pace.

When Edward injured his knee at work and needed surgery, Smithfield gave him only 30 days to recover. His doctors said he needed four months. After two months, Smithfield got tired of waiting and fired him.

Edward describes his time on Smithfield's line as "a living hell." Today, he is fighting for justice at Smithfield.

You can help. Stand with Edward, Smithfield workers, other working people, and community leaders as they rally for justice at the company's shareholders meeting on August 30.