Human Times

APAC Edition

6th January 2026

THE HOT STORY

Bank employees in India rally for five-day week

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body representing nine unions in India's banking sector, organised a demonstration at Bank Square, Sector 17, Chandigarh, as part of its nationwide campaign demanding the immediate implementation of a five-day working week. The gathering heard that if the five-day work week was not implemented, the agitation would intensify, culminating in an all-India bank strike on January 27. "It is unfortunate that the government is not responding to our genuine demand. There would be no loss of man-hours because we have agreed to an extra 40 minutes working per day from Monday to Friday," UFBU said in a statement.

The Times of India

The Tribune

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LEGAL

China boosts gig worker protections

China is set to enhance protections for flexible workers, including gig economy participants, through new reforms proposed by the State Council. The proposal aims to expedite regulations safeguarding gig workers, such as food delivery and ride-hailing drivers. Currently, over 200m flexible workers exist in China, with 70.57m covered by basic pension insurance and 66.16m by basic medical insurance. Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wu Xiuzhang noted that the government is easing access to national insurance systems for these workers. Despite progress, challenges like unstable income persist, necessitating further reforms.

Asia Insurance Review

WORKFORCE

3% pay rise for some staff at McDonald's in Hong Kong

McDonald's in Hong Kong has announced a 3% pay rise for restaurant management staff, effective January 1. Employees with excellent performance may receive increases of up to 5%. Additionally, 12,000 frontline and office staff received a HK$500 bonus to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary. The company also raised prices on select menu items by approximately 50 HK cents, marking its smallest increase in a decade. However, prices for several popular items, including the Filet-O-Fish and Big Mac set, remain unchanged.

South China Morning Post

TECHNOLOGY

Hyundai's new humanoid robot is launched

Hyundai Motor's Boston Dynamics unit has introduced the Atlas humanoid robot, which is set for deployment in manufacturing plants by 2028. Initially, the robot will perform repetitive tasks, with plans to advance to complex assembly by 2030. The Atlas features human-like hands and can lift up to 50kg in extreme temperatures. Goldman Sachs predicts the humanoid robot market could reach $38bn by 2035.

Business Times SG

ECONOMY

Asia's factories end 2025 on stronger footing as orders rise

Factories across Asia concluded 2025 with improved stability, bolstered by a rise in orders signalling a more robust economic outlook. The increase in demand has fostered optimism among manufacturers, indicating a potential recovery from previous disruptions. Analysts believe that this trend may suggest a longer-term strengthening of industrial sectors in the region.

Reuters

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

South Korea funds vocational training facilities in western Iran

Two vocational training workshops have been inaugurated in Kordistan province, Iran, with the help of $500,000 funding from South Korea. The facilities, opened in Sanandaj, aim to enhance skills-based training in the automotive, electricity, and renewable energy sectors. South Korean Ambassador Kim Junpyo observed that the initiative supports cooperation and sustainable growth.

Tehran Times

CORPORATE

Honda extends production shutdown amid chip crisis

Honda has announced a two-week extension of its production suspension at three Chinese factories due to ongoing semiconductor shortages, and is now set to resume on 19 January. The shutdown, affecting about 22% of Honda's global output, follows delays in chip shipments linked to the seizure of Nexperia by the Dutch government. Honda also suspended operations at two Japanese plants earlier this month. The automaker has reduced its global sales forecast and expects semiconductor shortages to impact operating profit by approximately US$960m for the fiscal year ending March 2026.

Automotive World

Jollibee to list global unit in US

Jollibee Foods Corp plans to spin off its international operations and list them as a separate entity on a US securities exchange by late 2027, according to a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange. The domestic business will remain on the local bourse. The move seeks to "create two independently listed businesses with distinct strategic focuses and investment profiles." Jollibee shareholders will receive shares in the new company equivalent to their existing stakes, subject to regulations. Shares jumped 14.5% following the announcement - the largest single-day gain in over five years.

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

INTERNATIONAL

Oil industry makes the case for Maduro's successor

Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president of Venezuela in Caracas on Jan. 5. Bloomberg reports that executives, lawyers, and investors tied to the oil industry made the case for Rodríguez as Nicolás Maduro's successor following his ouster, observing that as an oil minister herself, she would be best placed to guide the US plan to optimise Venezuela's oil production. However, the biggest US oil majors were not among Rodriguez's advocates. A spokesperson for Chevron, the only major US oil company licensed to operate in Venezuela, said it “had no advance notice of the recent operation and did not engage in any discussions with administration officials regarding governance for a post-Maduro Venezuela.”

Bloomberg

US Chamber gets fast-tracked appeal in $100,000 H-1B fee dispute

A US appeals court has agreed to expedite an appeal regarding President Donald Trump's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for hiring skilled foreign workers. The US Chamber of Commerce argued that a swift review is crucial to protect employers' rights ahead of the H-1B visa lottery in March. "Those employers' ability to participate in the H-1B program this year therefore hinges on the outcome of this appeal; without relief by March, it will be too late,” the Chamber said. The appeal follows a December 24 decision by a district judge affirming the fee's legality. The Trump administration has said the H1-B program has been abused by U.S. employers who seek to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign workers.

U.S. News

Some parts of Louvre stay closed as staff resume strike

The Louvre museum in Paris opened on Monday but some parts stayed closed as staff resumed their strike. Staff had convened earlier in the day to decide whether to resume the rolling strike to protest against pay and working conditions. Unions say employees at the world's most visited museum are overworked and mismanaged. They are urging more hiring, pay increases, and better use of how the Louvre's money is spent.

Reuters

Straits Times

The Local

UniCredit and unions agree on staffing deal

UniCredit has signed a deal with banking union FABI and other trade unions including First, Fisac, Uilca and Unisin to manage employee turnover through voluntary exits and new hires. All 484 employees currently suspended under early retirement schemes until 2031 will be able to access the sector's redundancy fund on a voluntary and incentivised basis. Italy's second-biggest bank is also to recruit 436 people under 30 on professional apprenticeships leading to permanent contracts, and hire an extra 4% of staff annually between 2026 and 2028 under the Abi Protocol aimed at supporting female victims of violence. FABI coordinator at Unicredit, Stefano Cefaloni, said: "We express our satisfaction on the issue of attention to women victims of violence, a topic of absolute and dramatic topicality."

Il Sore 24 Ore

Reuters

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