On 8 September, around 2 pm, at the construction site of Zhonghua Lu, Heping District, Shenyang City, four construction workers climbed up a crane, more than 10-storeys high, saying that if they didn't get their wages, they would kill themselves by jumping down. Lets listen to a Shenyang eye witness from the construction site explaining what he saw:
Listener:
I can see therere two workers up there. Yes, I see them very clearly. Now theyre sitting at the top of the crane They might have been standing for a long time.
Han:
Can you see their faces?
Listener:
I cant. Its very high at least more than 10 storeys high.
An official from the Zhonghua Street local office, who just came back from the scene, said that those who not getting paid are farmers from the city of Chaoyang.
Street Office:
Oh, about this [incident]! I just came back from there. It was about 2:00 pm. There are four people three men and one female. They havent got paid wage arrears. Workers are employed from the Labour Market. Most of them come from Chaoyang theyre farmers. The workers said; how can I manage to survive if you dont give me money? Now things are in a deadlock. Four people on the crane, with firemen, task forces, PSB officers, special policemen, and the leadership of our local government down there! The traffic has been held up roads have all been blocked, with large fire engines there. The workers didnt come down after negotiations. There is a big air bag down there. Now hundreds of people have gathered there.
This official said that this real estate company even owes the Zhonghua Street Office nearly RMB 10 million. So its no surprise that they wouldnt pay the workers:
Street Office:
The head of this real estate company
this f**king guy is something like
like the head of a gang; he doesnt pay back money. He also owes money to the Street Office! He said he would move the old people to a home for the elderly. We have 800 square metres of building area. According to the agreement they should give us nearly RMB 10 million. Now, we are suing in the courts for the payment. At one point, he was willing to give us a bit - RMB 4 million. But in the end he didnt give us a single buck. Even the court doesnt dare to take any action. We dont have any more news from the court. What does it imply? [It implies] That the boss has many connections with triad society. He doesnt give us back the money
.no way would he give the salary of other citizens.
A cadre from the General Trade Union, Heping District said that the Chairman of the Union is currently at a Communist Party School, so the union is not taking part in solving the problem:
Trade Union:
Now the leadership of the Trade Union are not here. They have just gone to the Party School to study.
Han:
In such an urgent case, which department of the Trade Union is responsible in dealing with this?
Trade Union:
This
Im not clear of this. But the key point is that one of the leaders is now studying in the Party School, and the other went for a meeting early in the morning. So Im not sure about this.
Another cadre of the Heping District Trade Union pointed out that the Trade Union in fact doesn't know which department should be responsible for this enterprise:
Trade Union:
The crucial thing is that we arent sure of whether the enterprise belongs to the city or the district. We arent clear... We even dont know whether any trade union has been established in the factory.
Han:
Is it common that construction sites owe workers their salary?
Trade Union:
Its very sensitive. There are many petitions. Even the city and the provincial government face the same problem of petitions.
An official from the Heping District Construction Committee told us that recently, in the same construction sites, similar industrial action occurred. But at that time the workers could only get half of their salary back. Later the workers sought the help of the District and the City Construction Committees, but to no avail. This pushed them to climb up the crane:
District Construction Committee:
The same thing happened nearly one month ago in the same construction site. The real estate company didnt pay the money to the working team, and the working team had no money to pay for the workers wages. That made the workers take action and climb up the crane. Six to seven people did this before and got back some money. At that time it was agreed to pay more than RMB 60,000; the workers have got half of this but the other half has not yet been received. Last Friday, workers came to the District Construction Committee and talked about this issue to us. The District Committee held a meeting with the City Construction Committee, and it was decided that the City Construction Committee should be responsible and manage the case. Later these migrant workers visited the City Construction Committee several times, but they couldnt get back the money. Today, these migrant workers discussed it among themselves, and decided to climb up the crane. But even if you asked them to jump, they wouldnt do so. This is just a protest gesture. It is just the same as the first time they shouted from above, and negotiated with us, asking us to promise this condition and that condition, and asking us to pay back their salary. The PSB and the police officers came and at last they were willing to climb down from the crane.
Around 5pm, another official from the Heping Construction Committee told me that the real estate company has given the money, and the workers on the crane have come back to the ground:
District Construction Committee:
Now its been solved. The workers have been given RMB 58,000. I just came back from there.
Han:
Theyve got the money. Have they come down?
District Construction Committee:
Theyve come down.
Han:
The company has given the money, hasnt it?
District Construction Committee:
Oh! Theyve come down. When I was there, they were climbing down. I saw altogether five people, four men and one female. Now were discussing how to manage the case. A secretariat of the City Government is now on the 5th floor conducting a meeting.
A policeman from the Zhonghua police station said that last time those seven workers had been detained for 10 days. He pointed out that these few workers would receive similar punishment this time.
Police Station:
Something like this happened about two months ago, and the result was the same: they were detained!
Han:
How long was the detention?
Police Station:
10 days.
Han:
Did they accept this?
Police Station:
Of course they did!
Han:
Is it the case that they get the money but with the penalty of detention?
Police Station:
They didnt care. The principle is: it is all right when and if you give me back the money. If they hadnt acted like this, they wouldnt have got the money. When people asked whether they would apply for an appeal [against the detention], they declined to do so. According to the senior leadership, if someone uses such methods to threaten society by blocking the traffic and upsetting the normal order, he will be prosecuted for disturbing the social order,
After the incident, the eyewitness listener from Shenyang who had appeared earlier in this program called us again:
Listener:
Oh, it has been solved. The real estate company said that they owed nine-months salary, and now they will pay it all back. But now I have accomplished my duty, and its time for you to perform your duty. Now youve damaged the lock of the gate, and also the lock of the crane. We will definitely affix the legal responsibility for these wrongdoings on you. I saw a manager from the real estate company, who wore his safety hat, saying that they would affix the responsibility onto the workers. The policemen said that the workers should solve the problem in an appropriate way. But the problem is how can the problem be solved in an appropriate way? The workers have pursued such [appropriate] methods. Theyve visited the governmental departments for labour issues. But the labour departments cant do anything. Talk about labour arbitration
but the real estate companies and the bosses can simply ignore it. One can go to the court, but even if a positive verdict is given it won't be put into effect. These bosses have connections with triad societies. They threaten those migrant workers: If you dare sue, I will beat you up so badly that you cant eat nor walk. Which game would you like to play, the legal one or the illegal one? I can afford it [presumably referring to bribery or manpower to control workers]. Now in my opinion
I once believed in my youth that this could only happen in a pre-Communist era. I couldnt believe that this can actually occur in a socialist state under the leadership of the community.