China Labour Action Express No. 4 (2002-11-21)

In this Issue:

1. CLB Statement on ACFTU Deputy Chairman's Recent Remarks on Yao Fuxin
2. The Liaoyang Interviews: CLB Follows up Accusations of Violence against Yao Fuxin by ACFTU Leader
3. Profiles of Five Imprisoned Labour Activists in China

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CLB Statement on ACFTU Deputy Chairman's Recent Remarks on Yao Fuxin

At a press conference during the recent 16th Party Congress, All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) Deputy Chairman Zhang Junjiu stated that Liaoyang workers’ representative Yao Fuxin “had been detained because he had broken Chinese law by carrying out car-bombings and not because he had organised a workers’ campaign.”

CLB expresses outrage that no sooner has the ACFTU won a seat on the ILO Governing Body in Geneva as a deputy worker member than it began to unscrupulously slander Chinese workers engaged in peaceful organising to struggle for their legal rights.


http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/2224

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The Liaoyang Interviews: CLB Follows up Accusations of Violence against Yao Fuxin by ACFTU Leader

When asked if Yao Fuxin or any other of the detained workers representatives had blown up any cars during their petitioning activities, an official at the Liaoyang government said that he had not heard anything of the sort. Another official at the Liaoyang Federation of Trade Unions put the accusation as “sheer rumour”. A laid-off work at the Ferroalloy plant recalled how the workers’ representatives acted with prudence, and told CLB that fellow Ferroalloy workers were extremely angry at Zhang Junjiu’s outrageous remarks.

http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/2218

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Profiles of Five Imprisoned Labour Activists in China

On November 12, 2002, the official Shang bao newspaper (Commercial Times) reported remarks made by the vice chairperson of the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) Zhang Junjiu. They were made at a press conference connected to the recent 16th Party Conference. Zhang said: "I can responsibly say that up to now, there is no one detained in China for organising workers". The newspaper also reported Zhang Junjiu as saying that those who violate a country's laws, for example by engaging in violent behaviour, burning cars, beating, smashing property and looting would be dealt with in accordance with the law in any country.

CLB has put together cases of persecution dating back to 1991. They involve people who have peacefully appealed to the government to allow the formation of independent trade unions in order to protect workers' rights; or organised various peaceful campaigns to protect workers' rights; or struggled for rights in accordance with the Labour Law; or used their professional training to assist workers in their struggles for legal rights.

Unfortunately all of them have been detained/tried as criminals. Excerpted here are five such cases.

http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/2230
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