Zheng Jinghai, a 64-year-old retiree from the Maoming branch of the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporations [Sinopec Corp] branch in Guangdong province has been harassed by the local police for his part in a protest in the first week of January 2004. On 11 January, Zheng Jinhai stated that he was visited at home by public security officers and told not to take part in the protests. Another two retirees from Sinopec also reported similar harassment
Another protester named Yang, who was interviewed by a foreign radio station, reported that his telephone had been monitored since 9 January. Since then, reporters also stated that they had difficulties in contacting both Mr. Yang and Zheng Jinhai.
The retired workers from the Sinopec Maoming Branch started their protest in December 2003 over illegally low pension benefits. They initially went to the offices of the Corporation to ask that it follow the relevant regulations on allowances for retired workers - Document 16, which was co-issued by the Office of the Chinese Communist Partys Central Committee and the State Council in 2003 and which states that the provincial social insurance department should be in charge of issues related to retired workers benefits [including pensions] and not the corporation. The workers asked that the corporation abandon its current pension scheme which is based on the much lower municipal rate and instead adopt, according to the regulations, the provincial standard.
In the past month, some 1,000 retired workers have protested in front of the corporations office buildings every day. The protestors have also blocked the buildings entrances to stop Sinopec Corps staff going in and out and since 9 January 2004, department-level officials and above have stopped working inside the building.
The protests however have not brought the retired workers any satisfactory answers from the corporation. An open letter from Sinopec Corp urged the workers to give the company some time to draw up a solution. It also asked the workers to stop their mass protests and complaints and withdraw from their road-blocking activities. It also told the retirees that in order to grant their demands, the stability of the companys production must first be ensured, otherwise, they would not be able to guarantee the workers welfare.
Workers also reported that the letter claimed that the Secretary of the party-Committee at the corporation would visit the provincial Labour Bureau to discuss the regulations contained in Document 16 and that a corporation manager would report the situation at the branch to the corporations headquarters in Beijing.
Retired worker, Zheng Jinghai, stated that the workers would halt their protests for the forthcoming Chinese New Year period, however he added that the protestors had prepared enough materials to make a formal complaint and if Sinopec Corporation did not offer a decent solution in the New Year, they would stage further protests.
Zheng Jinghai emphasized the retired workers were merely fighting for their rights and did not want to cause trouble to the corporation. Zheng himself started working in the Maoming branch of Sinopec Corporation in 1958. When he retired in 2001, he received 1,100 Yuan pension each month, which while high by some standards [especially for workers at struggling State Owned Enterprises] is lower than the specified amount.
When asked for details of the case, staff from the Sinopec Corporations press office reportedly confirmed that since December 2003, retired workers had been gathering in front of the offices. However they denied that it was a protest and stated that there were less than 1,000 protestors. They allegedly refused to answer further questions as did staff from the General Office.
Sources: Dajiyuan News (13 Jan 2004), Radio Free Asia
21 January 2004