Escort Meter�s (Pvt) Ltd. is a large industry, manufacturing electric meters. It employs about 1000 workers. There were two unions, o­ne is Escort Meter Workers Union Affiliated with All Pakistan Trade Union Federation and the other is Employees Union which is pro management. According to the Industrial Relation Ordinance it is obligatory to hold referendum (election) among the unions for the determination of Collective Bargaining Agent Union. So o­n 23 March 2005, among the two unions a referendum was held by secret ballot under the supervision of Registrar of Trade Unions, Lahore. The Workers Union got majority of the votes and won the referendum and pro management union was defeated badly although the bosses had launched a campaign and had spent a lot of money to win the election.

(IANS News) Dhaka: At least 10 workers died when a factory building near the Bangladesh capital collapsed o­n them and police said more than 100 workers are trapped inside the rubble.Rescue teams recovered the 10 bodies from the rubble of a multi-storey sweater-making factory at Savar, 35 km from the Bangladesh capital. Police say the death toll could mount. Bangladesh Army, police, fire service and civil defence personnel have joined the rescue operations. "We can hear people screaming inside the collapsed building. There are still many people alive inside the rubble," a fireman told IANS. More than 200 people were working in the night shift at the factory when it collapsed early Monday. Savar Police said they were yet to ascertain the cause of the building collapse. "Faulty construction could be a reason for the accident," said the police. Earlier accounts had said the building had collapsed due to a boiler explosion.

From ANWA, the present Vice President Com. Goma Devkota, Sabitra Bhusal-CCM, Sarita-CCM Neupane were arrested. Democratic National Youth Federation Mamata Giri, Urmila Acharya, Urmila Bhattarai, from All Nepal National Free Student's Union, Maya Tamang and many other women activists were arrested. In Kathmandu alone, there were more than 300 activists and leaders who were arrested. Among them, there were 31 women. We have not received any detail report yet from outside the valley. The chair of ANWA, Bidya has not been released.

We strongly criticize and condemn government suppression during the peaceful demonstration. It is a matter of criticism and irony that the King's government is suppressing people's movement in the name of democracy and human rights. We think that o­nly a strong people's movement can end the autocracy. The momentum is increasing day by day. The movement conduction committee of the party has set up the program for the next month.

Dear friends, we are so inspired by your support and it gives us additional courage that other peoples� movements are by our side during this critical situation. We seek your continuous support in future.

Thanks for your strong and warm solidarity!

Sujita Shakya

ANWA

In the morning of 15th March, KGEU General Secretary AHN Byeong Soon, who had been hunted by the police, was arrested. General Secretary AHN was issued an arrest warrant just before the general strike of last year, and was hunted down by the police for around 130 days. o­n 17th March, his warrant underwent deliberation o­n its validity, however, the court rejected the petition of his lawyers and decided to proceed with the arrest. AHN is at the moment imprisoned in Seoul Prison.

The repression against KGEU continues and the government�s maneuver to disintegrate or incapacitate unions affiliated to the KGEU is becoming increasingly intense. The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MOGAHA) started its so-called �New Wind Campaign� at the end of last year, aimed at weakening the union�s organizational power and will to struggle. This �New Wind Campaign� is being implemented under the rhetoric of �blowing fresh wind into the organization�, and the MOGAHA is explicitly calling for �reformation of organizational culture, focusing o­n rearing workplace councils and healthy employee groups�, and at �forming a foundation for healthy union activities� by �establishing partnership with civil servant organizations�.

On 23rd March, the Korean Government Employees� Union (KGEU) celebrated its 3rd anniversary. The ceremony took place in the Grand Auditorium of Korea University � the very place in which KGEU�s Inaugurating National Congress was raided and suppressed by riot police 3 years ago. At that time, thousands of riot police raided the auditorium and arrested hundreds of KGEU delegates and union members.

At the ceremony, around 400 union members and guests from other organizations participated. The president of KGEU, Kim Young Gil, participated in the event despite that he was being hunted by the police. During his opening speech, he said this day was a day to proudly proclaim that public servants are workers and that, as workers, must clear their name as �puppets� of the regime and agents of corruption. He also said government workers must bear in mind that they must pay for the debt owed to history. President KIM also pointed out that citizens continue to have a negative perspective of public servants and that �the o­nly way to overcome this negativity was by showing to the public specific changes that reform civil service and practicing true form of service to the people. He also emphasized that government workers must also proactively participate in struggles to abolish the National Security Act and the bill to expand irregular labour, as well as anti-war struggles. He went o­n further to maintain that the KGEU must focus o­n strengthening its organizational power by implementing strong struggles against unjust penalties and for reinstatement of laid-off workers.