In this Issue:
1. Editor's Note
2. PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
- Press release and news on Daqing, Shengli and Lanzhou
3. INTERVIEW
- Interviews on Daqing, Guangyuan, Lanzhou, Anshan, Fushun
4. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- The Hongkong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and the IUF issued analyses and condemnation about the re-entry of ACFTU into the Workers' Group of the ILO
5. ANALYSIS
- Why doesn't the government take steps to resolve its conflicts with the people?
*******************************************************************************
Editor's Note
The Chinese government celebrates a diplomatic victory as its labour arm, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) wins a seat as the deputy member in the Workers' Group of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Governing Body in June 2002. The election scoop by the ACFTU has been lauded by the Chinese government as recognition by an important international body. The Beijing government have been manoeuvring since the 1989 June 4 massacre to regain seats on international organizations. The negative implications of this diplomatic success at the ILO has sent a chill down the spines of union movements which have been championing the cause of independent and democratic unionism in China.
The acceptance of the government-controlled ACFTU at the ILO is particularly ironic at a time when majority of workers in China feel more vulnerable, unrepresented and disenfranchised than ever before. Over 250 million workers in China are subject to the most flagrant violations of core labour standards under the onslaught of heavy-handed market liberalization and privatization; yet they have no union willing to speak about the injustice and their grievances. They cannot organize representation to negotiate their demands. In the absence of any negotiation channels, an increasing number of workers have decided to take their grievances to the streets and to try to organize independent unions. They are invariably confronted with apathy or even hostility from the ACFTU which has had fallen in line, supporting the suppression of these labour actions by the government and the employers.
This Bulletin features news updates, analysis and testimonies about workers' demonstrations in Daqing, Lanzhou, Fushun and Anshan which took place in this spring. The Daqing demonstrations involving retrenchment protests by 50,000 oil workers have entered their fourth month. The momentous campaign has inspired many other struggles by workers elsewhere who are confronted with similar threats of loss of jobs and livelihoods.
Nevertheless, such peaceful actions voicing legitimate demands have been met with government denials and even repression. Several dozen organizers of Daqing independent union are still reportedly missing. In the wake of such relentless crackdowns, most workers have been forced to suspend their protest actions.
An estimated 60 million workers face unemployment as a result of the economic re-structuring and China's entry to the WTO. As the statute of China's 'Iron Man' model worker, Wang Jinxi, stands in apparent peace and quiet in the Iron Man Square of Daqing, over 80,000 oilfield workers are on the brink of destitution -- silenced, and barred from organizing or collective bargaining. Those willing to take a leading role in organizing an independent union to voice the anger of their brothers and sisters are locked up in secret detention centers. As the ACFTU uses its seat at the ILO to defend such suppression of basic labour rights, who will uphold the Chinese workers' right to organize?
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
Press release and news on Daqing, Shengli and Lanzhou
2,000 Women Retirees Protest in Daqing(2002-06-28)
The Daqing workers’ protest continues (2002-05-13)
News Update on Daqing, Shengli, Lanzhou(2002-05-02)
Lanzhou Protests (2002-04-23)
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/2008
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INTERVIEW
Interviews on Daqing, Guangyuan, Lanzhou, Anshan, Fushun
"There are five of them assigned to keeping an eye on me, thinking I am some kind of key target. It's like they are making me out to be somebody from the Falungong! They wanted to make my daughter write a pledge, but my girl told them, "There's no way I can make such a pledge. If my mum doesn't go [and demonstrate] how is she going to live? My mum has worked for them for 26 years and then they cheated her."
2002-06-04, Daqing government departments hush up workers’ action on June 4
2002-06-04, Daqing workers continue their protest in Tieren (Iron Man) Square on June 4
2002-04-13, Conversation with a Retrenched Oil Worker in Daqing(1)
2002-04-06, Daqing workers’ demonstration in its 35th day
2002-04-06, 30,000 Daqing workers drop demonstration
2002-03-22, Daqing workers protest update
2002-03-22, Daqing workers’ movement continues
A frustrated rank-and-file official explains why workers in Fushun feel they have no alternative but to block roads and stage street demonstrations. "Everybody understands what’s happening. Even if the police are there, what can they do? Don’t they all have damned retrenched workers in their families? Once the issue is raised, everybody knows they don’t have a livelihood. Everybody understands; all they can do is explain that it is wrong to block the railways. But nobody is going to listen to them (workers) if they don’t block the railroad."
2002-04-05, Fushun protest
2002-04-17, Anshan workers' protest
2002-03-22, Two workers arrested in Guangyuan
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1984
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Hongkong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and the IUF issued analyses and condemnation about the re-entry of ACFTU into the Workers' Group of the ILO
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1996
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
Why doesn't the government take steps to resolve its conflicts with the people?
"Even more important was that apart from the PSB's notice effectively blocking the workers' organized protest, the government also ensured that local enterprise leaders convened workers' congress meetings. During the meetings, anyone whose family members included retrenched oil workers had to guarantee that their relatives would not go to Iron Man Square on the day of Qing Ming Festival. Any worker who failed to prevent their family members from going to the Square would face dismissal."
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1930
1. Editor's Note
2. PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
- Press release and news on Daqing, Shengli and Lanzhou
3. INTERVIEW
- Interviews on Daqing, Guangyuan, Lanzhou, Anshan, Fushun
4. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- The Hongkong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and the IUF issued analyses and condemnation about the re-entry of ACFTU into the Workers' Group of the ILO
5. ANALYSIS
- Why doesn't the government take steps to resolve its conflicts with the people?
*******************************************************************************
Editor's Note
The Chinese government celebrates a diplomatic victory as its labour arm, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) wins a seat as the deputy member in the Workers' Group of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Governing Body in June 2002. The election scoop by the ACFTU has been lauded by the Chinese government as recognition by an important international body. The Beijing government have been manoeuvring since the 1989 June 4 massacre to regain seats on international organizations. The negative implications of this diplomatic success at the ILO has sent a chill down the spines of union movements which have been championing the cause of independent and democratic unionism in China.
The acceptance of the government-controlled ACFTU at the ILO is particularly ironic at a time when majority of workers in China feel more vulnerable, unrepresented and disenfranchised than ever before. Over 250 million workers in China are subject to the most flagrant violations of core labour standards under the onslaught of heavy-handed market liberalization and privatization; yet they have no union willing to speak about the injustice and their grievances. They cannot organize representation to negotiate their demands. In the absence of any negotiation channels, an increasing number of workers have decided to take their grievances to the streets and to try to organize independent unions. They are invariably confronted with apathy or even hostility from the ACFTU which has had fallen in line, supporting the suppression of these labour actions by the government and the employers.
This Bulletin features news updates, analysis and testimonies about workers' demonstrations in Daqing, Lanzhou, Fushun and Anshan which took place in this spring. The Daqing demonstrations involving retrenchment protests by 50,000 oil workers have entered their fourth month. The momentous campaign has inspired many other struggles by workers elsewhere who are confronted with similar threats of loss of jobs and livelihoods.
Nevertheless, such peaceful actions voicing legitimate demands have been met with government denials and even repression. Several dozen organizers of Daqing independent union are still reportedly missing. In the wake of such relentless crackdowns, most workers have been forced to suspend their protest actions.
An estimated 60 million workers face unemployment as a result of the economic re-structuring and China's entry to the WTO. As the statute of China's 'Iron Man' model worker, Wang Jinxi, stands in apparent peace and quiet in the Iron Man Square of Daqing, over 80,000 oilfield workers are on the brink of destitution -- silenced, and barred from organizing or collective bargaining. Those willing to take a leading role in organizing an independent union to voice the anger of their brothers and sisters are locked up in secret detention centers. As the ACFTU uses its seat at the ILO to defend such suppression of basic labour rights, who will uphold the Chinese workers' right to organize?
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
Press release and news on Daqing, Shengli and Lanzhou
2,000 Women Retirees Protest in Daqing(2002-06-28)
The Daqing workers’ protest continues (2002-05-13)
News Update on Daqing, Shengli, Lanzhou(2002-05-02)
Lanzhou Protests (2002-04-23)
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/2008
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW
Interviews on Daqing, Guangyuan, Lanzhou, Anshan, Fushun
"There are five of them assigned to keeping an eye on me, thinking I am some kind of key target. It's like they are making me out to be somebody from the Falungong! They wanted to make my daughter write a pledge, but my girl told them, "There's no way I can make such a pledge. If my mum doesn't go [and demonstrate] how is she going to live? My mum has worked for them for 26 years and then they cheated her."
2002-06-04, Daqing government departments hush up workers’ action on June 4
2002-06-04, Daqing workers continue their protest in Tieren (Iron Man) Square on June 4
2002-04-13, Conversation with a Retrenched Oil Worker in Daqing(1)
2002-04-06, Daqing workers’ demonstration in its 35th day
2002-04-06, 30,000 Daqing workers drop demonstration
2002-03-22, Daqing workers protest update
2002-03-22, Daqing workers’ movement continues
A frustrated rank-and-file official explains why workers in Fushun feel they have no alternative but to block roads and stage street demonstrations. "Everybody understands what’s happening. Even if the police are there, what can they do? Don’t they all have damned retrenched workers in their families? Once the issue is raised, everybody knows they don’t have a livelihood. Everybody understands; all they can do is explain that it is wrong to block the railways. But nobody is going to listen to them (workers) if they don’t block the railroad."
2002-04-05, Fushun protest
2002-04-17, Anshan workers' protest
2002-03-22, Two workers arrested in Guangyuan
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1984
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Hongkong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and the IUF issued analyses and condemnation about the re-entry of ACFTU into the Workers' Group of the ILO
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1996
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
Why doesn't the government take steps to resolve its conflicts with the people?
"Even more important was that apart from the PSB's notice effectively blocking the workers' organized protest, the government also ensured that local enterprise leaders convened workers' congress meetings. During the meetings, anyone whose family members included retrenched oil workers had to guarantee that their relatives would not go to Iron Man Square on the day of Qing Ming Festival. Any worker who failed to prevent their family members from going to the Square would face dismissal."
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1930
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