China Change » Labor rights

Truckers on Strike and the Structural Contradictions of China’s Logistics Industry

Tan Jiangying, June 15, 2018 On June 8, messages circulated on social media that truck drivers across China were going on strike on the 10th. This came with a feeling of deja vu, as a similar call for strike had happened on April 25, when crane operators announced a strike for May 1. And, as happened with the crane operators earlier, the t [...] Keep reading »

The Significance of Crane Operators Across China Going on Strike

Wang Jiangsong, May 7, 2018 On April 25, an open letter from a WeChat group named “Changsha tower crane operator federation” (长沙塔吊联盟) was circulated. It said: To all hardworking front-line tower crane operators, conductors, and elevator operators, greetings! As construction, crane, and mechanical equipment operators an [...] Keep reading »

A Six-day Strike in Shanghai Caused by a $110 Pay Cut – Collective Action by Sanitation Workers in China’s ‘New Era’ of Stability Maintenance

Wang Jiangsong, April 13, 2018 In late March in the Changning district of Shanghai, 3,000 sanitation workers went on strike. Before long, the air was filled with a foul odour as garbage quickly began piling up in the streets. Trash collection is a public service, and the consequence of a strike is not limited to the walls of a factory [...] Keep reading »

Notes From Prison (Part Two of Two)

Meng Han, October 11, 2017 Continued from Part One Governmental Dysfunction and NGO Work In our time of great changes, the term “NGO”—when applied to our Service Center—inevitably has some political connotation. NGO workers have nothing to do with any criminal activities, but have everything to do with governmental dysf [...] Keep reading »

Notes From Prison (Part One of Two)

Meng Han, October 10, 2017 On December 3, 2015, Guangdong police raided a series of labor NGOs in the Pearl River Delta area, detaining several NGO leaders and activists. Among them was Meng Han (孟晗), a then 50-year-old experienced labor activist and an intern at Panyu Migrant Worker Service Center in Guangzhou. Meng Han had served nine [...] Keep reading »

Liu Shaoming, a 1989 Veteran and a Labor Activist, Remains Imprisoned Without Sentence

China Change, May 31, 2017 Liu Shaoming’s (刘少明) work as an activist, while based in Guangdong, saw him travel across the country in recent years. In Guangdong he joined the calls for releasing dissident Guo Feixiong (郭飞雄), Tang Jingling (唐荆陵), and numerous other participants in the Southern Street Movement (南方街头� [...] Keep reading »

Chinese Construction Workers in Saipan Still Fighting for Their Wages

China Change, May 25, 2015 The struggle continues for Chinese workers who labored on the Imperial Pacific casino project. This morning, as captured in this video, over 20 workers are protesting in the streets of Saipan chanting “pay my hard-earned wages, I want to return home.” Below is a letter issued by the protesting wor [...] Keep reading »

Injured Chinese Workers in Saipan Demand Compensation From Employer

May 11, 2017 Related: Workers Stranded in Saipan Without Pay Wrote Letter to Chinese Consulate, May 1, 2017. U.S. Investigates Work at Pacific Island Casino Project With Trump Ties, New York Times, May 4, 2017. [...] Keep reading »

Workers Stranded in Saipan Without Pay Wrote Letter to Chinese Consulate

May 1, 2017 Honorable Consulate of the People’s Republic of China: We are 92 Chinese workers currently in Saipan. We worked for Gold Mantis Decoration LLC at the construction site of Imperial Pacific’s casino. In China, we paid 30,000-50,000 RMB [US $4,350-7,250] for the opportunity to work in America. We worked 13 hours every day [...] Keep reading »