Two Women Reportedly Killed, and Three Workers' Leaders Detained, During Police Crackdown on Mass Protest at Chongqing Steel Plant
A crackdown carried out by local police on 7 October against protesting workers from the Chongqing Steel Plant resulted in the death of two women protestors, 24 workers being injured, and the detention of three of the workers' leaders, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The police crackdown ended a two-month-long series of protest demonstrations by several thousand workers at the steel factory who were laid off by the company without compensation in August this year, following the company's bankruptcy the previous month.
The 7 October clash occurred while the workers were staging a sit-in protest outside the municipal government headquarters. According to an eye-witness cited by RFA, around 200 police arrived at the scene between 6.30 and 8.30 am, and several men – believed to be plainclothes officers – then overturned two police vehicles. An additional 200 or so anti-riot police were then summoned, and they immediately began beating and kicking the workers. One woman of around 70 years old, and another of around 50 years old, reportedly died as a result of the police violence.
The protests began on 12 August when more than 2,000 laid-off workers occupied one of the main roads in the city, paralysing traffic. Negotiations between the workers and factory officials later that month failed to yield any result. The workers had originally planned to continue their protest on 10 October outside the venue of the Asia-Pacific Mayors' Summit, held in Chongqing on 11-14 October, but the police crackdown last Friday prevented this protest action from going ahead.
The Chongqing Steel Plant, formerly one of China's top 500 industrial companies, employed more than 18,000 people at the height of its success, but the company declared bankruptcy in July this year after incurring debts of more than 4 billion Yuan. The protesting workers allege that the company's economic failure was related to corrupt activities by factory managers, and they accuse the company of selling the land where the factory stands for some 40 million Yuan less than the real market price.
The steel workers' main demand was an extremely modest one: that the factory should pay them 2,000 Yuan each in severance payment for their loss of employment. One woman worker was quoted by the SCMP as saying: "We all joined the company when we were kids but now we've got nothing at the end."
China Labour Bulletin calls upon the Chongqing municipal government to conduct a full investigation of the two women's reported deaths and to punish those found responsible. We also call upon the local police to immediately release the detained workers leaders, and upon the Chongqing Steel Plant to compensate all its laid-off workers with a reasonable severance payment.
14 October 2005
China Labour Bulletin
A crackdown carried out by local police on 7 October against protesting workers from the Chongqing Steel Plant resulted in the death of two women protestors, 24 workers being injured, and the detention of three of the workers' leaders, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The police crackdown ended a two-month-long series of protest demonstrations by several thousand workers at the steel factory who were laid off by the company without compensation in August this year, following the company's bankruptcy the previous month.
The 7 October clash occurred while the workers were staging a sit-in protest outside the municipal government headquarters. According to an eye-witness cited by RFA, around 200 police arrived at the scene between 6.30 and 8.30 am, and several men – believed to be plainclothes officers – then overturned two police vehicles. An additional 200 or so anti-riot police were then summoned, and they immediately began beating and kicking the workers. One woman of around 70 years old, and another of around 50 years old, reportedly died as a result of the police violence.
The protests began on 12 August when more than 2,000 laid-off workers occupied one of the main roads in the city, paralysing traffic. Negotiations between the workers and factory officials later that month failed to yield any result. The workers had originally planned to continue their protest on 10 October outside the venue of the Asia-Pacific Mayors' Summit, held in Chongqing on 11-14 October, but the police crackdown last Friday prevented this protest action from going ahead.
The Chongqing Steel Plant, formerly one of China's top 500 industrial companies, employed more than 18,000 people at the height of its success, but the company declared bankruptcy in July this year after incurring debts of more than 4 billion Yuan. The protesting workers allege that the company's economic failure was related to corrupt activities by factory managers, and they accuse the company of selling the land where the factory stands for some 40 million Yuan less than the real market price.
The steel workers' main demand was an extremely modest one: that the factory should pay them 2,000 Yuan each in severance payment for their loss of employment. One woman worker was quoted by the SCMP as saying: "We all joined the company when we were kids but now we've got nothing at the end."
China Labour Bulletin calls upon the Chongqing municipal government to conduct a full investigation of the two women's reported deaths and to punish those found responsible. We also call upon the local police to immediately release the detained workers leaders, and upon the Chongqing Steel Plant to compensate all its laid-off workers with a reasonable severance payment.
14 October 2005
China Labour Bulletin
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