Repression, Adaption and New Directions (2010s)

In the aftermath of the major strike waves across Asia in the 2010s, the initial worker victories in Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and China were met with increasing government repression and restrictive labor laws. We analyze the more repressive environment for labour activism, the deepening of neoliberal policies, and how workers are mobilizing beyond the workplace, engaging in broader political movements and structural change. We touch on the tensions between narrow factory-based industrial struggles and broader class-based movements. We end with a discussion about the growing activism of workers in public sectors and precarious positions, who have become more organized following the Covid-19 pandemic.