In this Issue:

1. Editor's Note
2. MONTHLY NEWS REVIEW
- 20 Coal Miners Killed in a Blast in Jiangxi Province
3. ARTICLE UPDATE
- Industrial Unrest in China - A Labour Movement in the Making?
4. WORKERS' VIEWS & ACTIONS
- Henan Workers Block Road Demanding Government Intervention in Housing Dispute

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Editor's Note

Our bi-monthly English magazine, China Labour Bulletin, was discontinued in the spring of 2001 to more efficiently match CLB’s resources to the perceived needs of Chinese workers. Since mid-2001, CLB has focused on developing Chinese language activities, including a website, email newsletter, dispute intervention and compiling a trade union manual.

The difficult decision of discontinuing the magazine was made with the express intention of maintaining an English language website as well as producing a monthly e-newsletter, China Labour E-bulletin. Although a website and an email newsletter cannot compete with the physical presence of a magazine and all its conveniences, CLB will take full advantage of the new opportunities offered by the Internet.

China Labour E-bulletin will be our active voice to English language readers, informing subscribers of special updates and new material on our website. As always, we seek to relay the views and actions of the Chinese workers to the international community. If you and your friends would like to continue receiving updates from us, please take a few seconds and join our subscribers’ list at http://www.china-labour.org.hk [2]

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MONTHLY NEWS REVIEW

20 Coal Miners Killed in a Blast in Jiangxi Province

Twenty coal miners were killed in a mine blast in Jiangxi province on December 30, 2001, leaving 30 others injured. CLB followed up on the incident and spoke with officials at the Mining bureau, hospital, and local ACFTU. Listen to the broadcast (in Chinese) at 

http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/8791 [1]

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ARTICLE UPDATE

Industrial Unrest in China - A Labour Movement in the Making?

Hongkong-based labour researcher, Tim Pringle, discusses the increasing number of wild cat strikes, demonstrations and labour disputes in recent years that have resulted from the double pressure of unequal economic reforms and inefficient mechanisms for workers to guarantee their interests. The article speculates on the development of an independent labour movement rising from the struggles of today’s strikes.

http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1558 [3]

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WORKERS' VIEWS & ACTIONS

Henan Workers Block Road Demanding Government Intervention in Housing Dispute

CLB reports on a group of workers blocking a public road in Luoyang City on January 3, 2002. The company management was trying to leverage the workers’ housing as collateral to settle bankruptcy procedures. Listen to CLB’s discussion (in Chinese) with the parties involved at [4]http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/1564 [5]