SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The major purpose of this book is to review conditions under which Asian labour movements can develop an effective challenge to the destructive aspects of Asian transnational corporations (ATNCs). It also explores the underlying problem of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Asia. In Part 1, Dae-oup Chang, Kaneko Fumio, Yoon Hyowon, Tsai Chih-Chieh, and Monina Wong provide a general picture of capital movement from Asia and thereby illuminate the importance of monitoring ATNCs. In Part 2, Dae-oup Chang, Monina Wong, Krishna Shekhar Lal Das, and Dennis Arnold look at the impact of Asian investment on labour in different countries. Understanding the restructuring of labour and the ‘race to the bottom’ of labour conditions as an aspect of a particular form of the globalisation of capital, the authors try to grasp not only the direct impact of capital movement on workers in the South, but also the nature of economic development that the globalisation of capital presupposes. Part 3 shows how workers and the labour movement cope with the increasing movement of ATNCs through various concrete case studies. The Workers Assistance Center focuses on women workers in export processing zones while Dennis Arnold from the Thai Labour Campaign traces the origin of the inhumane working and living conditions of Burmese migrant workers on the Thai-Burma border. Serapina Cha Mi-kyung shows labour abuse cases by Korean investors and the passive response of the Korean government to the abuse in an attempt to explore a possible strategy to develop social and political pressure on Korean investors. LIPS and YAWAS show workplace labour relations and the impact of Korean capital investment in Indonesia, questioning workers’ benefits from the movement of transnational capital. Finally, the Ching-Jen Labour Health and Safety Service Centre tells us the experience of Taiwanese labour groups in organising an international campaign with other international groups and points out the strategic implications of the experiences.