Hong Kong, March 28 – PRESENT – More than 400 Hong Kong port workers have been on strike against their employer HIT, a shipping company owned by Asia’s richest man, Li Cheung Kong. The workers have been on strike since March 28 demanding a 20 percent pay rise. Even though the subcontracted workers represent only a few hundred of HIT’s thousands of employees, the strike has received active support from other workers. In recent weeks, 300 crane operators conducted a work-to-rule protest in support of the dockers. The strike continues without any sign of ending.
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, February 6 – PRESENT – There are 166 men held prisoner in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, suspects in the so-called War on Terror. These men are being held in torturous conditions, and many of them have been held for years without being charged with a crime. Starting in February, prisoners began a hunger strike, collectively refusing food. Two thirds of these men are now on hunger strike, against the conditions of their imprisonment and against the lack of legal process to decide their fate.
Cairo, Egypt, April 7-8 – Train drivers across Egypt went on strike to protest long working hours and lack of time off. The strike took place immediately after a massive demonstration on Saturday, April 6, against the government of Muhammad Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood who have been systematically supporting attacks on the Egyptian working class. Trains in Alexandria, Cairo and Tanta were all shut down and business as usual was stopped until late on Monday the 8th when drivers returned to work after the government promised to address their concerns.
