"People of higher class look down upon us even though we serve them," said the slingshot-wielding Sakhorn, who has spent the last four nights sleeping on the streets behind the tire barricades, without a shower or a change of clothes. "They think we are stupid because we are poor." With a flourish, he pulled the slingshot and white pebbles from the pocket of his jeans, which are shredded at the left knee. "This is all I have got, and the government calls me a terrorist!" he said. "I believe in negotiations if it done by our leaders. If not, we will keep fighting even if it takes years." - a protestor in bangkok

gains from UBS cleaners’ dispute 18 05 2010 by Chris Kane

http://thecommune.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/gains-from-ubs-cleaners-dispute/

4,000 undocumented migrant workers strike and occupy in paris 27 10 2009 - by Antoine Boulangé

A new wave of strikes by undocumented migrant workers began on 12th October. The striking workers, greater in number than in April 2008, are determined to win regularisation for all. But to do that, they need solidarity from all workers.

“Colonised yesterday – exploited today - tomorrow regularised”

That is the slogan of the thousands of undocumented migrant workers who are taking part in the new strike wave, initiated by the unions (CGT, CFDT, SUD, FSU and UNSA) and associations (Ligue des droits de l’homme, Cimade, RESF [Education Without Borders Network], Femmes Égalité, Autremonde, Droits devant!! etc.) Since 12th October the movement has not stopped growing, from 1,000 on the first day to 3,000 a week later.

There has been a qualitative and quantitative leap from the strike wave of April 2008, which involved 600 workers and won 2,000 regularisations. Over a period of a few days, over 700 “isolated” workers, employed on a temporary basis by unscrupulous employment agencies, invaded the Synergie and Adecco agency offices in Paris.