In this Special Issue of Asian Labour Update entitled ‘Pandemic, Crisis, and the Working Class on the Continent of Labour’ we present a collection of writings from around the Asia region that document how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted workers during the outset in 2020. The writings contained in this issue come from a variety of industries, including healthcare, platform economy, domestic work, garment, forest produce collectors, and more.
After an unprecedented yearlong pandemic spread over the world claiming almost 3 million lives and destroying the livelihoods of millions more, the rollout of vaccines has provided some hope of resuming economic activities. Yet, the impact of COVID-19 continues to magnify inequality and expose the long existing systemic problems faced by marginalised workers all over the world.
Global call for action to scientists, doctors, researchers and groups affected by asbestos
An influential group of scientists and researchers today launched a global campaign to counter the misinformation from the asbestos industry, particularly in Asia, about the cancer causing product.
The Asian Roundtable on Social Protection (AROSP) is a network of grassroots workers’ organisations, trade unions, NGOs, and scholars in Asia that work on the issues of formal and informal workers. AROSP serves as a platform to provide mutual help, facilitate information sharing, and help organisations build their understanding on social protection. As a regional network, it aims to support and consolidate the regional struggle for social protection for the poor across various sectors in Asia.