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Publish material on the modern labor movement in China from levokommunisticheskogo magazine "Insurgent Notes". The article analyzes the development of resistance to working in China over the past few months. "Wild" is usually called a strike, the uncontrolled trade union bosses. Here, above all, interested in the very possibility of working out from under the control of union officials - are integrated into a system of well-paid members of the ruling class who, in his interest, manipulate workers. In case of further radicalization of the class resistance may occur in place of the old working-class movement of workers' councils controlled by grass-roots meetings, as it partly takes place today during strikes.
China - a global factory and super-Power, which is home to one fifth of the population.The social revolution in China, unless, of course, until it comes to that, would be for 21. are the same (or greater) impact, which was the French Revolution for the 19 th.
Wild strike at the factory Honda in Nanhai, which officially ended on June 4 a partial victory for workers, subsequently inspired other two factory Honda in the Pearl River delta to strike.In addition, working several Taiwanese-owned factories have adopted similar tactics, holding a sit-in Jiangsu and closing roads in Shenzhen.
The initial strike on a factory Honda began May 17. It occurred at the factory for the production of transmissions in Foshan, Guangdong.
The strike lasted more than two weeks and received considerable coverage in mainland Chinese newspapers.At its peak around 1900 employees (almost the entire plant) downed. Since the plant in Nanhai is responsible for producing automobile transmissions, the strike eventually stopped production at the four other assembly halls Honda. As a result, the loss amounted to 2500 Honda cars per day.
Wild strike at the factory Honda in Nanhai, which officially ended on June 4 a partial victory for workers, subsequently inspired other two factory Honda in the Pearl River delta to strike.In addition, working several Taiwanese-owned factories have adopted similar tactics, holding a sit-in Jiangsu and closing roads in Shenzhen.
The initial strike on a factory Honda began May 17. It occurred at the factory for the production of transmissions in Foshan, Guangdong.
The strike lasted more than two weeks and received considerable coverage in mainland Chinese newspapers. At its peak around 1900 employees (almost the entire plant) downed. Since the plant in Nanhai is responsible for producing automobile transmissions, the strike eventually stopped production at the four other assembly halls Honda.As a result, the loss amounted to 2500 Honda cars per day.
During the two-week period disturbances Honda introduced a working four different proposals, all of them were rejected. The proposals were designed so as to separate the more skilled trainees from the mass of ordinary workers, offering more than the first.Interns represent one third of the workforce at the plant in Nanhai. As the interns do not sign contracts, are not covered by insurance, are not protected by labor laws in China, their discontent was extremely strong. However, interns Honda young - many have not finished school - and therefore considered management as more susceptible to persuasion. Immediately representatives from school interns were sent to the factory to persuade trainees to return to work. Ultimately, all attempts to divide the workers failed.
May 26.after the second proposal was rejected by management, employees teamed up to develop an agreed list of requirements that would reflect their collective interests. So, the next day, May 27, Honda officials presented the following requirements:
1. increase the salary of 800 yuan per month (about 75%) for all employees.
2. to impose additional monetary awards for long service - the cumulative salary increase of 100 yuan each year in the course of 10 years.
3. immediate return of identity cards working at once poslevozobnovleniya work, workers can not be dismissed or subjected to
pressures to care after returning from work, those who have already been dismissed, will be restored; promise that employees will not face legal or financial responsibility for the strike.
4.still not received salaries since May 21 pending the resumption of work shall be paid to the workers.
5. within a month after returning to work, management promised to respond to various proposals set out working on May 17.
6.reorganization of the local union; happen reelection chairman of the union and other representatives.
The workers of the plant in Nanhai organized independently of the local union. E-mail and text messages, it seems, have played an important role in facilitating communication. In several instances during the two week period, the workers have decided to choose representatives to negotiate with management. The structure of delegates, it seems, has evolved naturally from the needs of the struggle and was not originally connected with any particular political objective.However, during the struggle, many workers began to demand the restructuring of local associations in accordance with democratic principles. Later, workers from various factories for Honda in Zhongshan, Guangdong, which have begun to follow the strike on June 9, again briefly stated this goal as one of their basic requirements.
Official trade unions in China (All China Federation of Trade Unions) are controlled by the state. During the strike at the plant in Nanhai, trade unions played a "mediating" role and refused to publicly support the workers.31 May, the local union in Shishanov even physically attacked a group of forty workers, causing seven of eight of or serious injury. However, the incident seems to have instilled more fear than solidarity among the workers. The next day, local unions have submitted a public "apology" to the workers, which they tried to downplay the responsibility for the attack.
The strike in Nanhai formally ended on July 4.An agreement was reached between the elected workers' negotiating committee and the Director-General of Honda Motors in China, Zeng Qinghong. The workers have achieved a partial victory. Honda agreed to raise the salaries of all employees at 500 yuan per month (about 33%), as well as regular cash bonuses and other requirements. On the final decision on the restructuring of the local union and had not been reported. By the end of the negotiating committee a strike of workers of the sixteen members sent two letters to the public, which were published by Chinese media fanfare.
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Media coverage of the original strikes at the Honda was surprisingly broad and deep.Despite the fact that the censored state media were ordered to stop to report any labor disputes is May 28, [[51] 9] local media coverage of Guangdong continued until June 4.However, since the termination of the strike in Nanhai, mainland media kept total silence about the ensuing wave of "wild" strikes that rocked other parts of China. Tacit approval of the first lighting strike in Nanhai, seems to reflect the desire of the CCP to see the growth in domestic consumption. June 4, simultaneously with the resolution of the strike in Nanhai, Municipal Government of Beijing announced that raises the minimum wage in Beijing at 20%. Subsequently, on June 9, Shenzhen Government followed suit and announced a 10% increase in the minimum wage. Starting in January, a total of 14 provinces in China have announced 10-20% increase in the minimum wage.
When a strike in Nanhai coming to an end, in another part of the country's other labor dispute erupted.June 4 workers belonging to the Taiwanese plant for the production of tires (KOK-international), located below the cities of Shanghai, began a sit-in protest against low wages and intolerable working conditions. The workers complained that the exposed to toxic fumes and operate at temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.From the outset, the strike has received unanimous support from the workers. [14] Although the sit-down strike began on June 4, reported it did not fall into the Western media until June 7, when workers clashed with police. About fifty workers were injured and many arrested in the clashes.
Back in Guangdong province, the third incident erupted in Shendzhene. June 6 from 300 to 500 workers from the factory Merry Electonics - Taiwanese manufacturer of audio components - went on strike and blocked roads to most of the day. The company immediately responded by announcing a substantial increase in wages, although the spokesman denied that there has been some increase any relation to the strike.
During the week two more strikes began in the factories Honda, located in Guangdong Province.
Second, as the first was in the province of Foshan.June 7, working with the factory exhaust systems Fengfu Honda stopped working and demanded the same concessions which were granted working Nanhai.About 250 employees of about 500 total, joined the strike. Fengfu Production at the plant has not suffered from the events of the preceding two weeks, but the workers learned of the strike in Nanhai of the messages in the media. While the strike at the plant Fengfu lasted only three days, it is forced to stop production at two of the four assembly plants Honda - who only returned to work after that. had been paralyzed by the initial strike. Finally, the evening of June 9, agreement was reached which provided significant concessions to the workers.
Earlier in the day, June 9, the third strike in the Honda in Xiaolan, a Chzhunshane, Xiaolan Honda Lock Plant is responsible for the release of key sets, door locks, side mirrors and other parts for automobiles Honda.The strike began to appear when several staff members were beaten by guards on charges of planning a strike. Although the strike was carried out working with the demands of higher wages as well as in Nanhai and Fengfu, this is the third strike in the Honda Lock, it seems. in a short time has become more radical extent.According to the New York Times, in addition to the 89% wage increase, workers Honda Lock one of the items demanded the right to form independent trade union on the basis of electoral representation. The workers elected 10 members of the "common facilities board" to negotiate with the leadership of the first day of the strike. Although Honda has agreed to accept workers' demands on wages, they said that they have no authority to approve an independent union. Guide said that the government committee on employment will make a decision regarding the employee's request on June 19 and asked the workers to return yet for their jobs. "
June 11, about 500 out of 1500 workers took to the streets outside the territory of the factory Honda Lock, to take part in the demonstration.Workers faced a number of lines of riot police who blocked the streets surrounding the protesters for nearly two hours. In the days after the demonstration of the workers held several meetings over the company's territory, waiting for guidance from the submission of acceptable proposals.Nevertheless, Honda Lock, apparently kept a hard line. Since the factory Honda Lock relies heavily on unskilled labor, management has repeatedly insulted the workers by offering higher wages to 100 yuan, and tried to bring the plant strikebreakers. As of June 17, the vast majority of workers continued the strike, while about 100 have returned to work.
The authorities of the country in the last month followed a strict silence.Nevertheless, 15 June, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao responded to subtly speech before a group of construction workers on the need to improve working conditions for migrant workers. The central government has refused to participate directly and, it seems, is experiencing confusion on how to deal with strikes. Although there is no doubt that the welcoming high wages, as rising domestic consumption, the CCP does not want workers to become too bold.Calls for an autonomous and democratic trade unions, even if they appear only at the local level, will have far-reaching consequences. But the workers, it seems, abandoned the claim. There is no doubt that the most significant of these strikes elected working committee to negotiate, which arose in the place of trade unions. Chinese media saw the original factory Nanhai Committee as an independent union. Nevertheless, these committees do not have clear bureaucratic nature inherent in the WWF.If workers continue to require the restructuring of trade unions, whether those committees that we have seen in the spring and during the last month, to serve as a model for such an adjustment? If so, it would have been truly radical implications for the Chinese working class.
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