International Workers' Day News from Asia

SOUTH KOREA

On April 26, it was reported in the news that South Korean department stores were beefing up marketing efforts to attract Chinese tourists ahead of the International Workers' Day holiday. Retail industry insiders said stores were moving to accept the Alipay payment system and scrambling to lure big-spender VIP customers. Alipay is China's largest payment system and makes use of specialized apps to conduct transactions. It has some 800 million users with annual payment hitting some 450 trillion won (US$417 billion).

MALAYSIA

The Democratic Action Party, DAP, said on Thursday, April 23, that its state, divisional and youth members have pledged to take part in the May Day rally, despite arrests and charges over previous Pakatan Rakyat-led rallies earlier this year. Its national organising secretary Anthony Loke said despite the mass arrests and charges in court, DAP members will rally against the newly implemented goods and services tax (GST). “Although there were 54 people who got charged… for participating in the anti-GST rally, that won’t dampen our spirit to take part in the May 1 rally,” he told Malay Mail Online.

54 persons have been charged at the PJ Sessions Court for taking part in the protest at the Customs office in March. Loke said they will march from Jalan Sultan to the Maybank headquarters, and then will join others to march to Dataran Merdeka, and then towards Kuala Lumpur City Centre, KLCC. He said he expects a few thousand DAP members to show their support for the rally next Friday. “Malaysians need to rise and object to GST that is making our people suffer. In conjunction with Labour Day on May 1, let’s show the people’s power in rejecting GST, return the country’s economy to the right path and reinstate a quality life for the people,” he said.

INDIA

In order to celebrate "Worker"s Day" on 1st May a group of intellectuals and social workers have organized a meeting at Zanana Park, Kathua. The meeting was presided by a social thinker and worker Master Shiv Nandan and attended by a large number of representatives of different organizations. While speaking in the meeting, Master Shiv Nandan told that "May Day", the first day of the month of May is celebrated all over the world with utmost importance and the day is also known as the International Worker"s Day which has a historic significance.

Labour Minister Gopal Rai has said the Labour Department would launch a Labour Development Mission for the welfare of contract labourers on the International Workers’ Day on May 1.He asked all employers, including contractors, to upload the details of employees on their websites to ensure that minimum wages were paid to all categories of workers.