Labour rights

Sofie Rordam Sri Lankan citizens are protected against torture and arbitrary arrest in sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka. In addition Sri Lanka has ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Cruel and Inhuman Treatment in 1994. While the legislation is there, the effectuation is not. The gap between […]

We hope that wishing for a happy new year in Sri Lanka is not just mere wishful thinking. We wish: 1. That Rizana Nafeek, facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, will be released as soon as possible. This wish can become true only if the Sri Lankan government makes all the diplomatic efforts to […]

An Open Letter to the President of Sri Lanka on the fate of Rizana Nafeek     Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa   President Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat Colombo-01 SRI LANKA   Tel: + 94 11 2447400 Fax: + +94 11 2423494 E-mail: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk       Your Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa:   SRI […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from UCANEWS. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong   ————- A Statement from UCANEWS forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Posted By pramual On December 21, 2010 @ 3:29 pm In Analysis & Opinion, Countries, Daily Service, Sri Lanka   Hundreds of Sri […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that gross violations of labour laws, retrenchment and coercive methods against the workers were witnessed in Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited after its 26 percent shares were sold to a foreign based company. In the recent days, following a strike at Pakistan Telecommunication (PTCL) over […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from the Korean civil society groups. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from the Korean civil society groups forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, visit Seoul to participate in the G20 summit. It […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Burmese migrant workers in the city of Khon Kaen in north east Thailand, holding a peaceful protest against their employer for illegally keeping their legal documents, had allegedly been fired upon by gunmen. To frighten them, the gunmen fired shots into the community […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the systematic discrimination faced by a Christian teacher in Lahore. She has now been threatened by the principal of the school and the chief security guard of the housing scheme which runs the school (For further details, please see our original appeal: AHRC-UAC-113-2010). […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from PFUJ. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Press Release from Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) PAKISTAN: Media workers not paid salaries even on Eid Islamabad, Sept […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a mother and her six month old child are currently facing food and health insecurity caused by bonded labour. The family living in the Balangir district of Orissa regularly migrated to Bangalore for the last two years to earn their daily food by […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a trade union leader and his brother have been gunned downed by unidentified men during strike negotiations. Mr. Mustansar Randhawa was leading protests against low wages, poor working conditions and the intimidation of workers in Punjab power loom mills, and had been engaged in […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that more than 100,000 workers of power looms in Faisalabad district of Punjab province are on strike since July 20 to ask for an increase of the wages, as announced by the government. To deal with the striking workers the Punjab provincial government has […]

On 31 March 2010, another young worker of the Samsung semiconductors factory, Ms. Park Ji-yeon died. Ms. Park started working at the Onyang factory and was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 21. She died at the age of 23. Hers is allegedly the ninth death out of 23 workers who have been allegedly […]

A workshop on “NREGA: Recent Evidence, Unresolved Issues, Possible Innovations” was held at Allahabad University on 6-7 March 2010. About 50 researchers, administrators and activists who have closely studied NREGA from different perspectives attended this workshop. While a broad range of issues were discussed, and differences emerged in some cases, there was unanimous agreement on […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that two magistrate courts in Sri Lanka have failed to uphold the labour rights of workers over the course of decades. Although compensation was awarded in both cases, the employers failed to comply and the cases are ongoing. One has been continuously postponed for 16 […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that the four remaining workers being held on false charges for almost two years in Rizal have now been released on bail. They were among 20 who were arrested, falsely charged and detained for holding a strike and two of the detainees […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a criminal investigator restrained and struck a fisheries union leader while he was detained at Negombo Police Station. Though police assault is classified as torture under Sri Lankan law it remains common and little addressed, and must be met with a criminal investigation. The […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that over two million migrants from Burma, Cambodia and Laos working in Thailand may face deportation after 28 February 2010. Over 80% of these migrants originate from Burma and face ethnic and political conflict as well as continuing economic deterioration in their homeland, which […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that a trade union activist was abducted after making bail, following his support for a series of union protests. Since his abduction more than two weeks ago, various security staff at his bank have been absent from work, and the vehicle used to abduct him […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a woman in Sindh has been arbitrarily denied her job in the civil service for nineteen years. Though officially appointed as a Social Welfare Officer in Karachi in 1990, she has been barred from taking up the job since, without explanation or official confirmation.  […]