On March 26th 2001, workers and pensioners from the Guizhou Number Seven
Metallurgical Construction Company blocked main roads in the provincial
capital of Guiyang in order to highlight their demands for pension arrears
and lay-off livelihood stipends.

The factory has 7,000 employees on the books, including 1,500 pensioners
and laid-off workers and had failed to pay these workers the statutory
Rmb 300 per month for over a year. The situation was further exacerbated
after the Guizhou provincial government increased pensions and the company
refused to comply. Government officials and company managers agreed to
negotiate with the protesting workers who dispersed after an eight-hour
stand-off with police.

Reports in Hong Kong put the number of workers involved in the protest
at 1,500. An official from the local Baiyun district government said only
300 workers took part.

(HK: Mingpao 27/03/01)