Hundreds of garment workers in Bangladesh have been fighting pitched battles with the army, police and thugs hired by their bosses in an effort to win basic rights such as having their wages paid and not being assaulted by factory owners.
Over 1,000 Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad last Saturday against the US occupation and its plans to carve up the city by building walls between Sunni and Shia areas. They chanted "No to the wall, no to America."
They brought drums and homemade placards, set up a sea of tents in the factory grounds and turned the forecourt of the mill into a week-long mass meeting.
Train drivers in Germany announced a national one-day strike to take place on Friday of this week, after negotiations with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) broke down.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union called off a strike by 73,000 workers at the General Motors (GM) US car firm, despite two days of solid action last week, after reaching a deal with the company.
What are the origins of the military regime in Burma?
The recent Northern Rock crisis showed how problems in the financial markets can hit ordinary people. The chaos was caused by massive problems in the subprime mortgage industry in the US.
Burma’s military regime was being rocked by mass protests across its major towns and cities as Socialist Worker went to press.
The US’s biggest industrial strike for seven years hit General Motors (GM) on Monday of this week when tens of thousands of UAW union members walked out. The workers are striking over healthcare benefits and job security. The action brought the world’s second biggest car-maker to a virtual standstill.
The general election in Greece last weekend saw the ruling right wing New Democracy party retain power with a reduced majority.
A strike by more than 10,000 tea pickers in Kenya in East Africa has won an 8 percent pay increase.
Thousands of poor farmers and indigenous activists marched through the Bolivian city of Sucre last week in support of constitutional changes proposed by President Evo Morales.
