Women workers' rights violated in Asia

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in its latest survey report said that women workers in export processing zones in the Asia Pacific region face difficulties due to workers' rights violations. The ICFTU's 2005 Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights, released on October 18 said that in general, it is women workers suffer the largest share of trade union rights violations in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Abuse is widespread in the garment factories where women form the bulk of the workforce. These factories are often located in export processing zones (EPZs), which continue to be particularly hostile ground for trade unionists, who are constantly exposed to threats and intimidation, particularly in Bangladesh, Fiji, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines and Sri Lanka," the survey report said.

It also said that in Bangladesh 186 workers lost their jobs after trying to form a union to improve their appalling working conditions. In India, in the Noida EPZ, the workers were fired for asking the employers to apply the country's labour laws.

The ICFTU is a confederation of 215 national trade union centres, representing 125 million trade union members in 145 countries and territories, which campaigns to defend workers' rights worldwide.