News and Updates

From Indonesia to Türkiye, workers across Asia-Pacific stood united on May Day 2025 — demanding justice, fair wages, and dignity at work in powerful shows of labour solidarity.

As trade unions around the world remember those lost to preventable workplace tragedies, ITUC-Asia Pacific is sounding the alarm about a new frontier of occupational health and safety (OHS) risks – those created by artificial intelligence (AI), algorithmic management, and digital surveillance. These emerging technologies, if left unchecked, could reshape the world of work in ways that threaten both the physical and mental well-being of workers.

On 4 April 2025, the Constitutional Court of Korea upheld unanimously the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, four months after his declaration of martial law on 3 December 2024, resulting in his removal from office.

ITUC-Asia Pacific supports its affiliates in Bangladesh in calling for the full and transparent implementation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) roadmap, which outlines critical labour rights reforms that Bangladesh must undertake to comply with international labour standards. Following the review at the 353rd Session of the ILO Governing Body in Geneva, ITUC-Asia Pacific and its affiliates acknowledge the interim government’s initial steps to address labour rights concerns, but they remain deeply concerned about the persistent gaps in labour law reforms, trade union registration, and the enforcement of workers’ rights.

Trade union representatives join civil society organisations in advocating for development justice at the 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 2025, held at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, from 25-28 February 2025.

ITUC-Asia Pacific calls on governments to take immediate action toward nuclear disarmament following the conclusion of the Third Meeting of the States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 3-7 March 2025.

ITUC-Asia Pacific took a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of migrant workers at the Second Asia- Pacific Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) held in Bangkok from 3–6 February 2025. Organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), the event provided a platform to push for inclusive, rights-based migration governance through meaningful social dialogue among stakeholders, including governments, trade unions, and employers.

Four years after the military coup in Myanmar, the country remains in crisis as its people continue to endure severe repression, human rights violations, and economic hardship under the oppressive military regime. On this anniversary, the ITUC-Asia Pacific has renewed its call for global solidarity and concrete action to hold the junta accountable and restore democracy.