[Broadcast on 9 November 2004]

In the 8 November edition of Southern Metropolis Daily, it covered a strike, starting from 7 November in Fanyu District of Guangzhou City, with about 1,000 workers protesting against low wages and long working hours in an electric appliances factory. Workers said that they worked 12 hours a day and seven days a week and the maximum monthly wages were merely 600 Yuan. Furthermore, the wages were always delayed by a month. The workers realized that the factory has been running well and receiving more orders than before. The factory owner becomes the sole winner without improving workers’ benefits. Workers hoped the strike would push their boss to improve their situation. China Labour Bulletin called Fanyu District Government Office and a staff member there said the strike was “none of the office’s business.”

District Government staff:

I don’t know. It shouldn’t be handled by my office.

Han Dongfang [Han]:

But according to the official description of your office’s work, an urgent case like this should be handled by your office. Shouldn’t it?

District Government staff:

But we haven’t received any news yet. I can’t answer your question.

A cadre from Fanyu District Trade Union refused to tell if the factory had its own trade union.

Cadre from Fanyu District Trade Union:

Our union is following the case with other relevant government departments in the district.

Han:

What is the workers’ demand?

Cadre from District Trade Union:

The exact term… well, we are handling it. It is just fine.

Han:

Does the factory have its own trade union?

Cadre from District Trade Union:

Hmm… well… I don’t think I should answer this question at the moment. Okay, bye!

A sergeant from Donghuan Police Station – where the factory is located – said when he went to the factory for another case, he found the striking workers stayed in the factory peacefully. He told CLB that most of the workers were from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hunan Province and the youngest ones were just 16.

Sergeant:

They didn’t make trouble. They just stopped working.

Han:

Does it mean a strike, or?

Sergeant:

Yes, a strike. Though they remained in the factory, they didn’t work. They did nothing radical. The youngest among them are about 16 years old. [They were born] in 1988… 1987, some kids graduated from secondary school this May or June and they came to work in September. Most of them are from Guangxi and Hunan.

Journalist Rong Mingmai of Southern Metropolis Daily, who first reported the strike, said he had visited the factory in person and his report was based on workers’ own words.

Rong:

I did my report based on the stories workers told me. The workers were about to disband when I got there. As you can see, I quoted them by writing the phase “according to the workers.”

Han:

Have you talked to the workers?

Rong:

Yes, of course.

Rong recalled that the factory hung different name signs outside the building and workers told him the factory was called “Shanlin Technology”. However, Mr He, chairman of district trade union, complained that the journalist was exaggerating in his report. Mr He refused to comment on if long working hours was a violation of Labour Law and whether the factory had its own trade union.

District Trade Union Chairman:

It has been solved neatly. [All workers] have returned to work.

Han:

Have all of them gone back to work?

District Trade Union Chairman:

Right.

Han:

When did they return to work?

District Trade Union Chairman:

They went back to work on Monday morning [8 November].

Han:

But the Southern Metropolis Daily said yesterday they were still [on strike]… didn’t it?

District Trade Union Chairman:

Bullshit! They were telling lies and exaggerating the situation than reporting the truth.

Han:

Aren’t the workers working from eight in the morning until ten in the evening?

District Trade Union Chairman:

Yes, according to what they [the workers] said, but they don’t have overtime work everyday. Well, overtime work is just common in factories.

Han:

Do they have to work overtime everyday?

District Trade Union Chairman:

They have to work overtime when they have orders. It is impossible to have overtime work everyday if they don’t have orders.

Han:

Do you think the factory has violated the Labour Law by this way?

District Trade Union Chairman:

Pardon?

Han:

Has the factory violated any Labour Law?

District Trade Union Chairman:

How to say?

Han:

I mean, according to the law.

District Trade Union Chairman:

They pay overtime wages.

Han:

Don’t you think two Yuan for each hour of overtime work is too little?

District Trade Union Chairman:

Hmm… you… when you have time, you should come here… do come… and I will talk to you, okay?

Han:

Does the factory have its trade union?

District Trade Union Chairman:

What?

Han:

Is there any trade union in this factory?

District Trade Union Chairman:

It is a private enterprise. What should I say?

A worker said the strike ended with a series of improvements their boss agreed to make. On the morning of 9 November, workers returned to work after a fruitful meeting with the factory owner.

Worker:

Our boss came in today. He first talked to the supervisors in the production units. In the morning, he held a meeting with all workers and told us about the improvements he would carry out. Then we stop [the strike]. [Improvements] include increasing our overtime payment from 2 Yuan to 3 Yuan per hour.

Han:

How about the overtime hours?

Worker:

We usually work overtime till 10 [PM].

Han:

Do you still have to work that much after the strike?

Worker:

Of course we have to work overtime. 10[PM] is the earliest time [we could leave work].

Han:

So the hours of work remain the same, but wages have been increased.

Worker:

Yes.

Han:

When did the strike first start?

Worker:

Since Sunday.

Han:

You started to strike on Sunday?

Worker:

Right. We didn’t go to work on Sunday, neither did we yesterday.

The worker said he had only had three days off – two around the National Day and one day off given by the factory – since he came to work here six months ago. He believed most of the workers were not aware that the factory’s practice was violating the Labour Law.

Worker:

We work from 8 AM to 10 PM, sometimes until 10.30 PM or even 11 PM. We have a two and a half hours break in between. [We usually work] 12 hours.

Han:

12 hours daily?

Worker:

Yeah.

Han:

How about Sundays and Saturdays? Any day offs?

Worker:

No. They [factory management] said one to two day offs each month.

Han:

How long have you been working in this factory?

Worker:

It’s going to be almost half a year now.

Han:

Can you recall how many day offs you have got?

Worker:

In the last half year, I have...two day offs around the National Day. Yes, two day offs around National Day and one more day off; altogether three day offs in total.

Han:

How is a day off like?

Worker:

It means we wouldn’t get paid.

Han:

You mean you receive no money on your day off?

Worker:

Yep.

Han:

Don’t you know it is violating the Labour Law?

Worker:

I know, but other workers don’t.

Han:

Is there any trade union at your factory?

Worker:

I haven’t heard about it.

Han:

Have you heard that starting from 1 November, Guangdong implements a new regulation of Labour Law, in which it says that ten or more workers can cosign and form their trade union?

Worker:

No, I don’t know.

Han:

Would you like to get a copy of the regulation from the town trade union and see if your fellow workers would organize one?

Worker:

Well, I… I don’t mind to get one but to have a union... you know some workers simply have no ideas. They see that now the problem has been solved and they are satisfied and they won’t ask for more.