[Broadcast 14 march 2003]

Following on from their blocking of a railway line on 2 January this year, retired workers from the Tieshu Group, a textile factory in Suizhou city, Hubei province have resumed their protests against the company. Beginning on 12 March, retired workers assembled outside the factory's main gates to protest against the company's arbitrary reduction of their pension payments. By 14 March, with the protest into its third day, production at the factory ground had already ground to a halt. The following conversation is with an eyewitness who explained the situation outside the factory as of evening of 13 March until the following afternoon.

Eyewitness:

The workers were there…they were picketing the gate yesterday until…until about one o’clock in the morning. Then they left. They were waiting…well they were mainly waiting for Wu Xiaoli, the factory boss. They wanted to talk to her directly, to get a dialogue going. But she didn’t come out. They hung around all the time they could see a light on in her office and shouting slogans like “Wu Xiaoli come out!” Then her car pulled up on the pavement [away from the factory main gate] and nobody knew what was happening. The workers on the main gate rushed over and tried to find out what was going on and if/how she had managed to sneak out. Nobody knew, but it seems like she managed to get out through a window. I heard that there was a police car deployed to escort her. The workers dispersed after they found out she had left but they came back again at 6 o’clock this morning. I have just seen about thirty people over there. They have worked out a shift system. It’s raining really hard here today.

Han:

Have they still got banners up?

Eyewitness:

Yes. Like I said before they have used red chalk to write two slogans on the old factory gates. On the left side of the gate they’ve used red chalk to write “The factory has shut down. We are angry and dejected. Corruption has been covered up and the culprits have gone scott free. Justice is shouting for help but who does the law protect?” On the right hand side they have used yellow chalk: “Ten years ago Tieshu was a young and strong company with strong roots. Who would have guessed that it was all a delusion and we would be left high and dry? Please tell all the people of Suichang that our factory has been deliberately bankrupted and ask them exactly who is the criminal in all this?”

Back when the workers blocked the railway they quickly got the attention of the provincial government and even the Party Central Committee [in Beijing] who said they would send people to investigate. But up until now there has been no solution. What they're saying in these slogans is that there has been a cover up [of corruption] and they want to blow the lid off.

A worker from Tieshu’s security department told me that as of 14 March all production at the factory had been stopped. He also said that the workers were picketing the gates on a shift basis, ensuring there was a minimum of ten people on picket duty stopping other workers going in.

Security department worker:

Production? Well…it's kind of stopped.

Han:

Nobody's working at the moment?

Security department worker:

Uh huh.

Han:

Why is nobody working?

Security department worker:

The factory gate's blocked off.

Han:

The gate's blocked…so there has been no work done for a few days then?

Security department worker:

Today…I am talking about today.

Han:

Today…but hasn't the gate been blocked since the day before yesterday?

Security department worker:

The gate was open the day before yesterday. [or: People have been able to get through until today.]

Han:

So the gate was open yesterday and the day before?

Security department worker:

Yes.

Han:

But today, there has been no production [at the factory]?

Security department worker:

Correct.

Han:

So…how many people are at the gate today?

Security department worker:

A few dozen. Twenty, thirty or so.

Han:

Just a few dozen people are blocking the gate?

Security department worker:

They…they are stopping people going through.

Han:

What steps have the factory security people taken [about this]?

Security department worker:

They have been trying to persuade the workers to disperse.

Han:

Has this been effective?

Security department worker:

There has been a little progress in getting them to leave…Some leave and then others arrive.

Han:

Oh I see…They are turning up in shifts then?

Security department worker:

Yes. There are always a few dozen people down there.

Han:

Is this to guarantee there is a continuous picket on the gate?

Security department worker:

That's right.

Han:

So when one group of workers leaves another arrives to take their place?

Security department worker:

They are… Yes that’s probably about right, yes.

Han:

Sorry?

Security department worker:

Yes. That's what's happening, more or less.

Han:

More or less?

Security department worker:

Correct.

A cadre from another office at Tieshu Group told us that top management had consistently ignored the workers demands and that the factory trade union had not offered to help the workers.

Cadre:

There's no solution in sight!

Han:

Why not?

Cadre:

You…er well…I don't know. Nothing has been solved.

Han:

Has management at the factory talked to the workers?

Cadre:

No! Not at all!

Han:

Why not?

Cadre:

I don't know.

Han:

What are the chief demands of the workers?

Cadre:

Their demands…I don't know!

Han:

We have had a telephone call from one of the workers who said that a major demand was that they wanted an end to the corruption.

Cadre:

Uh huh.

Han:

Is there a problem with corruption at the factory?

Cadre:

[Laughing]…Well that's a hell of a question to answer clearly… [Laughs].

Han:

Do you think the doubts raised by the workers have any basis in fact?

Cadre:

I don't know if there is a basis or not.

Han:

Well is there…

Cadre:

The fact is there is no solution in sight, they [the protestors] are still down there and management hasn't put anything on the table.

Han:

They are still where?

Cadre:

[Laughing] You come and see for yourself!

Han:

Has the trade union got involved?

Cadre:

No. No one has.

Han:

Shouldn't the trade union be representing the workers…?

Cadre:

What…no. Go and ask the union. Ask them to tell you what's going on.

The Tieshu trade union chairperson, a Mr. Ni, first of said he didn't know anything about the dispute and then said there wasn't one. When asked about the union role in protecting workers, Chairperson Ni had 'no comment'.

Chairperson Ni:

This business isn't…well it isn't as you say. There has already been a clear answer from the company management. Who are they looking to petition?

Han:

Isn't this the third day that the factory gates have been blocked?

Chairperson Ni:

I don't know.

Han:

You don't know?

Chairperson Ni:

I don't know. There hasn't been anything like that.

Han:

Nothing at all?

Chairperson Ni:

Yes, yes, nothing.

Han:

I just rang the Tieshu general office and they said that there was [a protest].

Chairperson Ni:

Oh… I…look, dial them again and ask them what's going on.

Han:

I'd like to ask, what's exactly is the role of the union in all this?

Chairperson Ni:

The union…the trade union doesn't know anything about all this.

Han:

Didn't the workers block the railway line in early January this year?

Chairperson Ni:

I don't know!

Han:

You don't even know about that incident?

Chairperson Ni:

Yes, yes, that's right. I've no comment.

Han:

What?

Chairperson Ni:

No comment!

Han:

What has the trade union actually done in all this?

Chairperson Ni:

No comment. We are not prepared to discuss this!

Han:

Shouldn't the trade union be representing the workers and speaking on their behalf?

Chairperson Ni:

Yes. That's exactly right. Goodbye. These days everything is much more complicated. I've nothing to say. That's just how it is.

Another employee from the Tieshu Group general office told me that it was very difficult to get a full picture of what was happening right now. He also said that a few days earlier a reporter had arrived from a Beijing newspaper but had simply been sent from one company office to another and was unable to find out what was happening:

Worker:

This matter…well I reckon…I think it's really hard to know exactly what's happening. A reporter from some newspaper arrived from Beijing but he couldn't get to the bottom of it all.

Han:

Why not?

Worker:

[Laughing] I don't know. He was sent on a wild goose chase from one office to another and never got any proper answers.

Han:

I know how he feels. I have been ringing around…

Worker:

Is that right.

Han:

Yes...why do you think this is happening?

Worker:

I think it's probably inevitable. Some things can't be talked about openly. It's risky to say anything.

Han:

Is it because some people think there has been a cover up? Or what?

Worker:

I…I can't say, I daren't [laughing].