KOREA: BEFORE THE OPEN, 19Jun2013

2014 Brazil coming your way; Another sweltering day, another power alert; SK E&C can smell the money; Inflation nation, health care and construction wages; Zuck in South Korea; 3% growth ?; Here’s what you need to know pre-open.

Cost Push Inflation: S Korean construction workers call for 15% raise

 

A rally was staged in front of the Government Complex in Seoul yesterday. The Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions were calling for a 15% raise and other working condition improvements.

Glencore Xstrata fires 1,000 striking South African miners

Surely this won’t solve the problem. Strikes have been quite common at South African mines all this year.

From Bloomberg:

A strike started May 28 at the Helena mine in the North-West province after an employee who is a member of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union accused a shift supervisor of assault, Tsatsawane said. After about 200 workers at the operation, the action spread to the Magareng and Thorncliffe mines. All three are on the Bushveld Complex, an ore body that contains chrome and has the world’s richest seam of platinum ore.

HONG KONG: CLOSING WRAP, 03Jun2013

HK holds up in the face of terrible China macro data; You can’t stop a Chinese gambler; Civil servants to retire later; John Tsang on HK property; MTR strike on the cards? Here’s what you missed today.

Cost Push Inflation: MTR workers demand 8% raise, threaten stike

 

Seems like the HIT strikers have started a trend.

From RTHK:

Workers at the Mass Transit Railway Corporation are demanding pay rises of at least eight percent this year. Union leaders, who staged a rally at the railway’s headquarters in Kowloon Bay, warned that members could take action if their demands aren’t met.

Dock worker strike reprisals

3 returning dock workers were fired for not wearing a helmet and playing mobile phone games. In the past a warning letter is issued for this behavior, but this instance resulted in immediate dismissal.

Sing Tao

HONG KONG: WEEK IN REVIEW, 18May2013

Timmy tong faces the spotlights; Housing prices to dump 20%; Alcohol, women and rape; CY Leung’s popularity in the toilet; The duck is under maintenance. Here’s what happened this week.

HONG KONG: BEFORE THE OPEN, 16May2013

Tencent brought the goods last night with Q1 earnings, HSBC axing more bankers, Cathay traffic figures continue downward, and Timmy Tong might have some more mates in his jail cell. Here’s what you need to know before the open.

CJ couriers’ strike drags on

Couriers employed by CJ Korea Express are unlikely to end their strike anytime soon, drawing attention to their worsening labor conditions amid cutthroat competition in the fast growing market. Read More, The Korea Herald

Strike caused 11% dip in container volume at HIT

The 40 day strike by the dock workers had a very noticable impact on business at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals. Shippers switched volume to Shenzhen.

SCMP