Abstract
Industrial relations are never far from the headlines. Whether it is a wage increase, an industrial dispute, trade union officials gaoled in Malaysia, workers attacked by police in the Philippines, or the efficacy of the whole system, there is usually a story there somewhere. In most countries, industrial relations are acknowledged as being a genuine and important part of society. They are acknowledged as being part of the complex maze of relationships which make up the fabric of a society. The relationships still exist, even if, as is the case in some countries, this acknowledgement is refused by regimes or employers. In the Asian, Pacific and Indian regions, there are regimes and employers who go to extraordinary harsh, even brutal lengths to ensure that workers and trade unions are not allowed to be a free and independent part of the relationship.
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