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APAC Edition
5th June 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Accenture supports mentorship programmes for pre-employment youths
Accenture has announced its commitment to youth mentorship programmes in Singapore. In collaboration with The Astronauts Collective (TAC), a local non-profit organisation that helps youths explore the world of work and find meaningful careers, the initiative aims to equip pre-employment youths with essential skills for the digital economy. Mark Tham, country managing director of Accenture Singapore, said: “With the right infrastructure and education system we have here, there's no reason for us to leave the youth unmanaged.” The programmes will focus on areas such as cybersecurity, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Accenture employees will dedicate 5,000 hours over two years to mentor secondary and tertiary students. Additionally, Accenture will donate S$500,000 to the President's Challenge, supporting 60 programmes from 52 organisations in 2025.
WORKFORCE
Australia's minimum wage rises by 3.5%
Australia's independent wage-setting body has announced a 3.5% increase in the national minimum wage, raising it to A$24.94 per hour effective July 1, which will benefit approximately 2.6m low-paid workers. FWC President Adam Hatcher stated that this decision is crucial for helping workers recover from previous losses in real income due to high living costs, warning that failing to act could lead to a permanent decline in living standards. The Australian Council of Trade Unions hailed the increase as "a great outcome," emphasizing that it allows the lowest-paid workers to regain financial ground after the inflation surge following the COVID-19 pandemic.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Employers face fines for heat neglect
Japan has introduced stricter regulations to protect workers from extreme heat, following reports of 30 workplace deaths and around 1,200 injuries last year. The new legislation, effective from June 1, mandates employers to implement safety protocols, including monitoring the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index and providing emergency assistance for heatstroke symptoms. “We are working on measures such as taking breaks according to the heat index,” said a spokesperson for Shimizu Corp. The World Health Organisation reported nearly 500,000 heat-related deaths annually from 2000 to 2019, highlighting the urgent need for such measures. With global temperatures rising, Japan's proactive approach may serve as a model for other nations facing similar challenges.
Support for women in menopause at work
Liz Bonner, president of the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association and chief executive of the Cloverdale Community Centre, is advocating for more menopause-friendly workplaces. Bonner emphasises the importance of open discussions and flexible working arrangements to support women in the workforce. Grace Molloy, CEO of Menopause Friendly Australia, echoes this sentiment, having founded her organisation to raise awareness about menopause in the workplace. Currently, only four Australian companies are accredited as menopause friendly, with many others seeking to improve their support systems. Research indicates that a lack of support is driving women out of the workforce, with 45% of women retiring early citing sickness or disability as the reason.
LEGAL
Rajasthan launches campaign to make the state child labour free by 2030
The Rajasthan government has launched the Child Labour Free Rajasthan campaign, aiming to eliminate child labour by 2030. The campaign includes training workshops for child welfare committee members and officials, focusing on the effective implementation of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. Additional Chief Secretary Kuldeep Ranka highlighted that poverty is a major factor driving child labour, with 61% of the world's child labourers located in Asia. The initiative also encourages consumers to inquire about the origins of products to help combat child labour.
CORPORATE
BYD dealer collapse signals market stress
Qiancheng Holdings, a major dealer of BYD electric vehicles in China’s Shandong province, has collapsed, shuttering at least 20 stores across four cities and leaving over 1,000 customers without warranty or after-sales support, Jinan Times reported. Once generating 3bn yuan ($417m) in annual revenue with 1,200 employees, Qiancheng blamed recent BYD dealer policy adjustments for severe cash flow issues in an April 17 letter. BYD, however, attributed the crisis to Qiancheng’s overexpansion and said it is offering support. The situation highlights mounting pressure on China’s auto market, where increased competition, the shift to direct sales, and weaker consumer spending are squeezing dealers. While BYD primarily operates through dealers, it maintains a limited number of company-owned stores.
STRATEGY
Online broker Tiger targets offshore China wealth
Singapore-headquartered online broker Tiger is to double its Hong Kong headcount over the next two to three years as it targets a bigger share of the growing offshore Chinese wealth in the financial hub. Tiger founder and chief executive Tinahua Wu said: "Hong Kong is a very important global financial centre and it's not only about the several million local residents . . . It is because it's backed by China." The brokerage currently employs 60 people in Hong Kong.
INTERNATIONAL
Disaster agency head 'was unaware of US hurricane season'
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees were left confused after David Richardson, the head of the US disaster agency since early last month, said during a briefing that he had not been aware that the US has a hurricane season. The country's hurricane season officially began on Sunday and lasts through November. Reuters reports that it was not clear to staff whether Richardson meant his comment to be taken literally, as a joke, or in some other context. Richardson said during the briefing that there would be no changes to FEMA's disaster response plans despite having told staff to expect a new plan in May, a source said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said that this year's season could bring as many as 10 hurricanes.
Dutch government drops plan for workplace alcohol and drug testing
State Secretary Jurgen Nobel (Social Affairs and Employment, VVD) has announced that there will be no legislation for alcohol and drug (AD) testing in Dutch workplaces. Currently, such tests are only permitted for specific professions like pilots and engineers. Despite previous advocacy from the employers' organisation VNO-NCW for broader testing, the trade union FNV opposed the idea. Parliamentary research indicated that safety issues related to alcohol and drugs are minimal, and employers are divided on the necessity of the tests. Nobel said: “Making AD testing legally possible is complex and has major consequences for people's rights.”
Ecuador's government acts on worker rights
Ecuador's government has issued an apology to approximately 300 workers who laboured under conditions described as modern-day slavery on plantations owned by the Japanese textile firm Furukawa. The Constitutional Court had previously ordered Furukawa to pay $120,000 to each of the 342 victims, totalling around $41m, and to issue a public apology, which the company has yet to fulfil. Labour Minister Ivonne Nunez said that the company violated "national and international regulations that affected, in essence, human dignity." During a ceremony in Quito, former workers expressed their demands for reparations, chanting slogans including "modern slavery, never again."
OTHER
Japan debates tax-free shopping system
Japan is experiencing a surge in international arrivals, yet policymakers are concerned about the insufficient profits from the influx of tourists. Lawmakers in Nagatacho are considering abolishing the tax-free shopping system, citing widespread abuse that undermines the consumption tax's credibility. Kazunori Tanaka, chair of the study group, said: “Widespread fraudulent use of the tax-free system undermines the credibility and fairness of the consumption tax”. The current system, which exempts foreign visitors from a 10% consumption tax on purchases over ¥5,000 ($34.70), has led to significant revenue losses, with an estimated ¥200bn-¥240bn uncollected. As Japan aims to attract 60m tourists by 2030, the debate over the tax-free system intensifies, balancing economic benefits against local residents' concerns over rising prices and perceived unfairness.
 


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