Daqing Workers Movement Continues; Two Workers Arrested in Guangyuan [1]
22 March 2002(Broadcast on 22 March, 2002)
The Daqing oil workers demonstration has already entered its fourth week. On 21 March, I called the Petroleum Administration Bureaus (PAB) duty office to get an update on the latest developments of the workers demonstrations.
Duty officer:
We take care of the production here; the production has not been affected.
Han Dongfang:
Work in the main building has been affected, hasnt it?
Officer:
Well, ask the complaints office about that, we are in the eastern block.
Han:
They said that Building No. 5 is all blocked from the second floor up
Officer:
Thats right.
Han:
How tall is the main building, how may floors is it?
Officer:
The main building is 20 floors high. As for this problem, we only look after the production; we are not answering these sorts of questions.
Han:
Has the production been affected?
Officer:
The production hasnt been affected; the enterprises present production hasnt been affected at all. Only some redundant workers made trouble at the office building, but they have not affected the production. They didnt cause any trouble over here; they are just sitting in at the office building.
An official from the Daqing Federation of Trade Unions
(DFTU) said the government has organised a special task force and the union has also sent two people to participate.
DFTU:
Yes, some working groups have been set up, every unit sent one or two people.
Han:
The union has only sent one or two people?
Union:
It was organised by the whole city government; every department sent one or two people.
Then I called to interview the Rang Hu Road police station.
Police:
Its always the same people serving on the front line, we have to man the office too so we cant all go. Those (who maintain the order outside) dont come back. They directly go there every day and they directly go home at night, then they directly go there in the morning; we havent seen them for quite some time.
A government official from Ranghu Road said that he has seen seven or eight thousand people on the scene every day.
Official:
They are still at the office building today; there are still people there. I reckon there are about seven to eight thousand people. In the mornings there are more and in the afternoons fewer. I know the rough details as I followed them for a couple of days.
He continued describing his experience participating in the governments working group, going from door to door in the neighbourhood to work on the workers attitude.
Official:
Our district government also participated, the whole district government. For the past seven or eight days we went down to the grassroots, visited the families one by one. What we did was to try to persuade them not to take extreme steps. Most of them said they only go there to have a look; they wont damage public property again.
Han:
Well, do they unfurl banners and shout slogans?
Official:
Yes, they do, sometimes they put up banners saying they want the leaders to give a reply to the workers problems.
Between 13 and 18 March, workers of the Guangyuan Textile Factory were on strike; on 19 March the strike formally stopped but two workers were still under arrest. A worker from the factory tells about the arrests.
Worker:
Last Wednesday, on the 13th, Xiong Bo from the long day shift and someone called Wang Jiafu from the supply department (were arrested). They are both over 40 years old. On the following day, all workers demanded their release. It seems that now the factory security department went to the police to get them out, but maybe there are still some problems they havent solved. I am not sure about the details.
He continued telling what he knew of the events on site when the two workers were arrested.
Worker:
They say, I have only heard it, that they accidentally wounded some policemen. I dont know if it was accidental or they really beat up the police. The details are not very clear. Probably that is one of the reasons why they havent released them yet.
Han:
Do you think they beat up the police?
Worker:
How shall I say? It was riotous at the time and probably some got hurt by mistake, they hurt the police.
Han:
Was it at the time when they collided?
Worker:
Yes, yes.
Another female textile worker said the workers strike blocked the traffic in Guangyuan for two days and that the workers now employed also have no medical insurance.
Worker:
We just went back to work today.
Han:
You didnt go to work yesterday?
Worker:
No, we took two days off.
Han:
Did you all take leave collectively?
Worker:
Yes, all of us. We just went back to work today.
Han:
Were the roads blocked during the two days of the strike?
Worker:
Exactly, they blocked the traffic for two days.
Han:
Did they block everything for two days? Didnt they go home?
Worker:
They took turns to go home to eat.
Han:
They took turns to go home to eat?
Worker:
Yes. At the Chinese New Year holidays this month, workers salaries were so low that some people only received just over a hundred yuan and those with longer years of service got over 200.
Han:
Do the employed workers have any medical insurance?
Worker:
No, the company didnt arrange any for us.
Han:
So what do you do when you are sick?
Worker:
We pay ourselves.
Han:
How about the officials?
Worker:
I dont know.
According to the male worker above, the workers strike has already had some positive results.
Worker:
The city party general secretary has already said on television, that the pension funds for the retired workers have already been completely paid. They can collect their wages from the social security bureau next month. For those who are still employed, it is not very clear [what arrangements will be made]. It seems the leaders said that this problem has all been solved. It's only a question of time now.
News and articles about Daqing, Liaoying, Guangyuan labour struggle [2]
International response to Daqing, Liaoying, Guangyuan labour struggle [3]
Interview on Daqing, Liaoying, and Guangyuan labour struggle [4]