Of course the official Chinese trade union movement is state controlled, but even there I think that there has been significant infiltration of the state union movement much as Communists infiltrated the Francoist trade union movement in Spain.
And strikes are on the rise.
On Aug. 22, more than 5,000 workers at a mobile phone component factory in Shenzhen, southern China, struck against their bosses' attempt to increase their work hours without extra pay. Earlier in the month, 800 miners struck for at least six days in the Tanjiashan coalmine in Hubei province against what they believed to be misappropriation by the management while the mine was privatized, undercutting the miners' redundancy payments... Little wonder the standing committee of China's legislature--the National People's Congress (N.P.C.)--worked overtime on Aug. 26 to hear the first reading of a new labor law, which will strengthen the government's ability to "mediate" and "arbitrate," in a clear attempt to dampen the rising tide of workers' unrest.
Earlier in the month, 800 miners struck for at least six days in the Tanjiashan coalmine in Hubei province against what they believed to be misappropriation by the management while the mine was privatized, undercutting the miners' redundancy payments...
Little wonder the standing committee of China's legislature--the National People's Congress (N.P.C.)--worked overtime on Aug. 26 to hear the first reading of a new labor law, which will strengthen the government's ability to "mediate" and "arbitrate," in a clear attempt to dampen the rising tide of workers' unrest.
I think that viewing the new Chinese Labor law in the context of these strikes suggests that the CCP is worried that political consequences are possible from these strikes. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
I think that viewing the new Chinese Labor law in the context of these strikes suggests that the CCP is worried that political consequences are possible from these strikes.
You're right, but I think the fact that the National People Assembly issued in 2006 a report on the lack of implementation of the existing labour law and proposed a new labour law also shows there are tensions within the Chinese state apparel.
I also think the new labour law, which gives an important role to the trade unions in the negotiations will have a strong effect on the evolution of the Chinese trade unions: they will be obliged to defend the workers against the employers will probably lead them (or part of them) to distance themselves from the government, thus fostering the internal contradictions.
When, like it is currently the case in China, the society is undergoing radical sociological change (especially the rise of a middle-class) under an authoritarian regime, the emerging civil society, under the threat of repression, structures itself within the existing official organisations. This means that, today, seeds of independent trade unions probably exist within the official organisations. I think that these "seeds" will be empowered by the new role given to the trade unions by the new labour law. "Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
