Employees Of Yuyuan Shoe Factory In Dongguan Are On Strike Due To Treatment.

Beijing time April 17th morning news, it is reported that with China The labor The number of people is decreasing, and this group is becoming more and more restless.

At present, there are no official statistics on strikes, stoppages and protests in China, but the labor rights organization in Hongkong, China Labor bulletin, said there were 119 such incidents last month.

Chinese Enterprise employer A disturbing reality is facing: employees not only know their rights clearly, but also make difficulties for management to safeguard their rights and interests, and the requirements of employees exceed the minimum requirements prescribed by law.

"This year will be a very difficult year for Chinese employers, and there will be more conflicts and strikes," said Leslie Ligorne, a partner at Ximeng law firm in Shanghai, Lesli Ligorner.

As the largest shoe manufacturer in the world, Yuyuan Industrial Group in Dongguan is undergoing a 10 day strike. More than 10000 workers have asked for better social security benefits, higher pay and more equitable contracts.

In addition to Yuyuan, there are several international giants who are also facing the problem of staff difficulties. WAL-MART is negotiating with the union, which involves a closed shop last month. Last month, IBM employees at the Shenzhen computer server factory protested that the severance payment paid to employees was not enough during the transfer of ownership to Lenovo. After a strike in March, Samsung SDI supplier Shanmukang technology and workers negotiated social security issues.

　　 Explosive growth

The bottom line of employees is the change in China's demographic trends. Statistics from the National Bureau of statistics show that over the past two years, China's working age population has shrunk by nearly 6 million to 920 million. The government has also introduced a number of policies to protect previously neglected workers' interests.

35 years ago, China promulgated the family planning policy, which caused the factory's labor supply problems. Parents do not want their children to work under hard conditions, especially with the rapid economic growth. The factory first proposes to raise wages, add basketball facilities and other leisure facilities.

Few other countries in the world have such a picture of China: UBS data show that workers' wages have exploded in recent years. Since 2005, the official minimum wage has increased by more than two times, to about 1300 yuan per month. Since the financial crisis, workers' wages have risen by 80%, but workers say they can barely keep pace with the rising cost of living.

　　 New laws and new predicament

In recent years, China has perfected its labor legislation system. The labor contract law of 2008 strengthened the protection of labourers, including providing better severance payments. In 2011, the new social insurance law strengthened the requirements for enterprises, and enterprises should pay more for social security projects. Last month, the new law introduced restrictions on the use of temporary labor agencies. Guangdong is considering the draft law, which will help to compile rules for collective bargaining.

Ironically, it should have been solved. Labor conflict The laws and regulations now put workers and governments in a dilemma. Central and local officials want to defuse labor protests and create a more stable workforce. But as workers have more voice in their hands, the government is at risk of getting out of control.

The provisions of collective bargaining are aimed at easing the grievances of workers and carrying out specific negotiations between the companies concerned to prevent sudden strikes. But there is a lack of protection for workers under the failure of negotiations.

"If there is no mandatory arbitration or strike, it is very difficult for workers to express their demands," said Jonathan Sachs, a lawyer for employment and labor in Hongkong based on Beck Mackens international law firm. He Yuancheng, editor of the China collective bargaining forum website, believes that workers involved in collective bargaining will face the end of dismissal.

Because of the lack of protection of the right to strike, the workers are powerless in the face of employer dismissal and public security punishment. Once workers walk out of the factory and protest in the streets, they will face punishment for being accused of disturbing public order and accepting detention.

　　 Silent protest

This year, two influential labor cases occurred in China. This week, the Guangzhou court held that 12 hospital security personnel were suspected of "assembling a crowd to disturb social order". Because these security guards can not reach a compensation agreement with the hospital management, they will jump from the top of the hospital floor.

Earlier this month, the Shenzhen court held second hearings to hear a case involving a former furniture factory employee. In May 2013, the employee participated in protests caused by factory management's refusal to discuss compensation after shutting down. Therefore, workers do not always rely on large-scale actions such as strikes to express their demands.

In Samsung SDI's industrial zone in Shanghai, workers there announced a strike last week, but the expression was calm. Workers in white jackets play basketball or badminton in factories, or play cell phones under the shade of trees. The quiet protest stems from the factory's decision to raise wages by 5%, but some workers posted online that the plant will be closed and will be transferred to Vietnam.

Employees said they demanded a doubling of wages. Chen Guoyu, deputy general manager of the factory, said that this is a consultative activity aiming at the wage issue. There was no strike, and Samsung SDI did not decide to close the factory. Workers got 10% pay and bonus last weekend. A worker who asked not to be named sent a text message to Reuters reporters, saying that if the factory closes, "we will probably have to do it again".

Today, senior executives of enterprises have learned to take advantage of workers' dissatisfaction. Once the equipment is sold, senior managers sometimes call on workers on the waterline to protest as a bargaining chip for higher severance payments to business owners. This means that once China's enterprises choose to restructure, the payment of legal compensation is only the beginning.

Communication is a crucial step, lawyers said.

Geoffrey Grosse, director of China's labor communications and communications, said: "if management is willing to explain clearly to employees instead of just delivering ultimatum, most disputes can be solved beforehand."