News

19.04.2024 | New Geopolitics of Asia, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

What is the concept of human security and why is it important? Listen to Dr. Hafiz A. Pasha, the author of the FES report "Human Security in…


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10.04.2024 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Mungunzul and her teacher Gereltuya share the same dream: a life with dignity, respect of traditional culture, and harmony between ancient and modern…


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08.04.2024 | Cross-cutting regional issues, Trade, labour and social dialogue, Gender Justice | News

FES Regional Gender Justice Project in Asia is calling for a professional layout designer for a booklet; 'Let’s Make Trade Unions More Gender Just…


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20.02.2024 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue, Gender Justice | News

The unnoticed workforce in urban waste management and environmental protection


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20.12.2023 | Future of Work, Cross-cutting regional issues, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created many impacts on all aspects of life, especially the employment issues of workers. The Federal Government…


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27.09.2023 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Why are people in Vietnam increasingly quitting social security system? Labour representative, Vu Minh Tien, looks at pressures driving this trend in…


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14.08.2023 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
A photo of a man holding a shovel with a pile of bricks in the background

Get a glimpse of the hidden chains of modern slavery in Pakistan, as millions endure bonded labour. Explore the critical and courageous role of…


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09.08.2023 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
A photo of a worker resting on a mountain of leathers.

Workers in Bangladesh’s huge tannery sector have been bearing the brunt of recent “sustainability” drives, as authorities have relocated polluting…


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25.04.2023 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Portrait photo of a woman worker in a tea plant in Bangladesh

Workers in Bangladesh’s renowned tea plantations have been fighting injustice and exploitation for more than a century. Trade unions have made some…


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12.04.2023 | Future of Work, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Hot masala milk tea is being poured from the pot to tea filter

Nepali tea has great international market potential as colleagues of FES Nepal learned during a recent visit to Jhapa (Eastern Nepal). However,…


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14.06.2021 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

The tourism sector of Nepal has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers and unions call for more financial support and a boost for domestic…


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04.05.2021 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

For four years, the Academy of Work has been training the next generation of trade union leaders in Bangladesh.


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16.03.2021 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Looking at the past to find changing meanings of the ‘labour movement’: Historian Sakdina Chatrakul Na Ayudhya takes a close look at the history of…


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05.02.2021 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, Economy of tomorrow | News

The line between using technology to manage workers and using technology to control workers is a thin one. In an interview with FES, labour expert Dr…


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20.10.2020 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

What are the challenges and opportunities facing organized labour in Bangladesh? We spoke with civil society leader Shakil Ahmed.


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Petra Dünhaupt and Hansjörg Herr | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

The complicated interaction between industrial policy and the constraint of an ever-tighter corset of rules under the World Trade Organization, free…


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11.03.2020 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Lifelong learning and vocational training are at the center of the the Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference (RTSDC), held for the 10th time…


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Peter-Tobias Stoll, Henner Gött, Patrick Abel | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

A state-of-the-art, ready to use blueprint for decision-makers.


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06.03.2020 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

To make decent working conditions and inclusive development a reality for all, industrial policy can play a key role in the Asia-Pacific region.


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21.10.2019 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

The extractive industry in Mongolia is making huge money for multinationals, but tax avoidance means this wealth is not translating into investments…


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03.10.2019 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Workers using loader crane at job site and talking to the team by walkie talkie radio.

Developing countries must do more than boost exports if they hope to improve workers’ lives. But which industrial policies have proven best at…


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17.09.2019 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Two years after the first Academy of Work in Bangladesh, trainers have restyled the programme to better respond to the challenges of organized labour…


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07.06.2019 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
8 male fishers sit at the floor with green fishing net and smile to camera.

For a trade deal to be fair, it must benefit workers all along the supply chain. To make sure this happens, workers must have a say in policies and…


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30.04.2019 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

In a changing world of work we need to recognize that all workers are workers, whether formal or informal, entitled to rights at work that guarantee…


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11.04.2019 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
An Asian woman wearing blue helmet and protective glasses uses an industrial drill in a plant.

The right to freely associate, bargain and be free from discrimination for exercising labour rights should continue to form the cornerstone of a…


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17.12.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Fresh uncooked shrimps piled up in a large tub for sale at a seafood store.

A first-person's account on the labour conditions in the shrimp industry in the Andaman Sea.


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07.11.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

The ongoing revision of Vietnam’s Labour Code is an opportunity to ensure workers’ rights are better protected in the economy of the 21st Century.


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02.11.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
A worker climbing up the construction of stadium roof

Campaigns around mega-sporting events can support trade union work in the fight for better working conditions for migrant workers.


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15.10.2018 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Truck in industrial port area being let through customs

The use of targeted sanction solves the main problem with blanket sanctions—the indiscriminate impact—while preserving the most advantageous feature:…


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11.10.2018 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Applying targeted sanctions to enforce labour standards in trade agreements and trade preferences can improve the incentive for compliance.


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10.10.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
A delivery man holds parcel box while using smartphone in a van.

Technological innovation is changing the way business is managed and how work is organized, raising concerns for workers in all ten ASEAN countries.


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Clara Portela | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication
Publication cover mockup of FES research on Enforcing Respect for Labour Standards with Targeted Sanctions

By introducing a targeted approach to sanctions, inspired by the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, it is indeed possible to advance…


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10.09.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Vietnamese women are carrying big fish at fishing port.

In Vietnam, a rights group works to ensure that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement safeguards labour and environmental standards laid out by EU and…


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Edlira Xhafa and Veasna Nuon | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

"The future of ethical production for Cambodia's garment and footwear industry" examines how trade regimes, and particularly the trade arrangements…


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Jakir Hossain, Mostafiz Ahmed and Jafrul Hasan Sharif | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

 "Linking Trade and Decent Work in Global Supply Chains in Bangladesh" highlights power imbalances in the industrial and labour relations in…


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15.05.2018 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Workers dumps a trash can into a garbage truck at road side.

Trade unions are developing strategies to address the harm a new generation of trade agreements may have on workers and access to public services in…


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14.03.2018 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Driver foreman is fastening the lashing chains to secured the cargo shipment with the truck trailer before shifting to  destination.

The EU and ASEAN are strengthening their cooperation by working towards a regional free trade agreement. The Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD)…


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01.03.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Four construction workers walking on the streets

Kathmandu – Experiences from the Philippines and Nepal suggest that a multi-lateral approach to international labour agreements could benefit weaker…


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25.02.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

An alumnus speaks of her good fortune in attending the Global Labour University.


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20.02.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
People crossing the street in a downtown

Preparing all workers to adapt to the changes driven by Industry 4.0 is priority for Singapore’s labour movement, says Sylvia Choo in the first of a…


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02.02.2018 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Two women working as a team to pack the finished goods in boxes in a factory

Singapore – The sustainable development chapters the European Union has in place in trade agreements and the way they are used are not leading to a…


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29.01.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, #CLSPlus | News

The European Union says it is taking labour considerations into account in its free trade agreements, but it is not doing it in a way that actually…


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22.01.2018 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

In 2017, Bangladesh saw the opening of the first Academy of Work, a three-month long programme for trade unionists in the country. Today, they share…


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26.12.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, #CLSPlus | News

Singapore – In 2014, Pakistan became a beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ programme—a scheme which provides the country with zero import tariffs on most of…


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12.12.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, #CLSPlus | News

Singapore – Today, some 60 to 80 per cent of the 20 trillion US dollars recorded gross exports are linked to the production of multinational firms in…


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26.10.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Manila (Philippines) – In the face of a rapidly-changing labour market, the Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference (RTSDC) was held last week…


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12.10.2017 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Geneva (Switzerland) – Global trade has triggered challenges for workers’ rights and how to address them was the focus of a session by…


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26.09.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, #CLSPlus | News

Singapore – A model labour chapter to EU trade agreements and preferences commissioned by FES can pave way to stronger implementation of labour…


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19.09.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) – Trade unions gathered on 4-5 September 2017 to promote the ASEAN Guidelines for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on…


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20.07.2017 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – Reforming international trade agreements and preferential schemes are an important tool to overcome serious challenges the…


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30.06.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, #CLSPlus | News

Brussels (Belgium) – “Trade agreements are instruments to improve the situation the participating nations find themselves in.”


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Petra Dünhaupt | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

This publication estimates the potential tariff savings for EU importing companies upon entry into force of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.


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23.06.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Indian workers sew in clothing factory.

Growing discontent with globalisation could turn into backlashes unless the EU brings its trade negotiations in line with its own human rights agenda…


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Madelaine Moore and Christoph Scherrer | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

This publication examines social or labour chapters in trade agreements, explores the reasons for their ineffectiveness and provides policy…


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19.06.2017 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Hands working with seamstress sews on an old sewing machine, threads the fabric.

Singapore (Singapore)—A new publication draws attention to the poor working conditions in global supply chains, and the link between trade and labour.


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17.06.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Kathmandu (Nepal) – The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) organized a meeting on improving recruitment…


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| #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

This publication reveals how trade and global value chains influence working conditions in Asia. It is based on research in the garment, footwear and…


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Do Quynh Chi | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

In Asia, countries with export-oriented industries like Vietnam benefit from low wages and a growing workforce to ensure participation in the new…


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28.04.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Bangkok (Thailand) ― Historically, tram workers were the first to form a union in Thailand, where today workers share a global challenge, achieving…


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20.04.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Dhaka (Bangladesh) ― FES and partners contribute to constructive social partnerships and harmonious industrial relations in the lead up to the Rana…


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02.03.2017 | #CLSPlus, Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Mobile phones being produced in a factory

An op-ed on working conditions in the electronics industry testifies to the urgency for binding and enforceable labour provisions, focus of CLS+, a…


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20.02.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Singapore ― In a guest contribution for FES on World Day of Social Justice, ITUC General Secretary calls for decent work in supply chains in Asia.


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18.01.2017 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) – Experts discuss how to link trade, decent work and shared prosperity in global supply chains, finding that voluntary…


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20.12.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue, #CLSPlus | News

More spare time, better pay, safer workplaces: The CLS+ project by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Asia aims to better the working conditions for workers…


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Traute Meyer | Trade, labour and social dialogue | Publication

Scholars of the welfare state have long focused on a relatively small number of mature post-industrial political economies, above all the member…


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29.09.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Airplane wing flying over the blue sky

Pokhara (Nepal) — The Asian civil aviation industry is growing alongside a pressing need to organize workers across its different sectors.


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23.09.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News
Large group of factory workers standing together in warehouse

An Asia-wide BASF regional network takes shape in Singapore as part of an effort to create a sustainable BASF Global Network of trade unionists.


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23.07.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

An important mission of the international union movement is to increase its participation in global governance and convey the views and concerns of…


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23.07.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

The potential of Social Protection Floors to eradicate poverty and to balance economic and social uncertainties has been reaffirmed by its prominent…


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23.06.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Young workers affiliated to the International Transport Federation have expressed their concern over the growing trend of precarious work arrangements…


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23.06.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

In Kathmandu, Building and Woodworkers International and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung bring together women trade unionists to pave the road for…


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06.06.2016 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Securing social and labour standards in global supply chains is a challenge under current trade regimes and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is gearing up…


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03.12.2015 | Trade, labour and social dialogue | News

Lively discussions of representatives from trade union centres from over 20 countries from Asia and Europe with government officials, the European…


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FES Asia

Bringing together the work of our offices in the region, we provide you with the latest news on current debates, insightful research and innovative visual outputs on the future of work, geopolitics, gender justice, and social-ecological transformation.

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