DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Violent unrest rocks China as crisis hits

**eocavrWM** · 02-03-2009, 04:52 AM

By SHAI OSTER

CHAOZHOU, China -- As China's economy stalls, rising public unrest has bubbled up in a series of labor strikes across the country.

In an unusual response, authorities -- facing a delicate task in tamping down disquiet -- have been allowing the protests and staging high-profile meetings with strike leaders to talk over concessions.

A strike by nearly 8,000 taxi drivers in the southwestern city of Chongqing in early November helped spark the recent wave. After three days, the city's top Communist Party official, Bo Xilai, held a three-hour meeting with cabbies' representatives, televised live. Mr. Bo, who is also a member of the Communist Party's powerful central committee, urged drivers to set up an organization to mediate between their employers and the government.

Soon after, strikes spread across the country among taxi drivers and workers in sectors from refrigerated food to teaching, with similar results.

The last widespread worker unrest in China came during the Asian financial crisis a decade ago, when the government dismantled cradle-to-grave welfare and slashed payrolls in struggling state-owned enterprises across the northern rust belt. At that time, protests were quickly suppressed and their leaders arrested, while the media was forbidden from covering them.

Now, the main focus of ire is the private sector, which has been especially hard hit by the current economic meltdown. The surge in bankruptcies and layoffs has led to an increase in labor arbitration cases in Guangzhou. According to China Daily, a government-owned newspaper, there have been 60,000 cases so far this year, twice the previous year's rate.

That's played a part in spurring the protests and an implicit recognition that workers need some kind of independent representation.

02-03-2009, 04:52 AM	#2
eocavrWM Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 520 Senior Member	By SHAI OSTER CHAOZHOU, China -- As China's economy stalls, rising public unrest has bubbled up in a series of labor strikes across the country. In an unusual response, authorities -- facing a delicate task in tamping down disquiet -- have been allowing the protests and staging high-profile meetings with strike leaders to talk over concessions. A strike by nearly 8,000 taxi drivers in the southwestern city of Chongqing in early November helped spark the recent wave. After three days, the city's top Communist Party official, Bo Xilai, held a three-hour meeting with cabbies' representatives, televised live. Mr. Bo, who is also a member of the Communist Party's powerful central committee, urged drivers to set up an organization to mediate between their employers and the government. Soon after, strikes spread across the country among taxi drivers and workers in sectors from refrigerated food to teaching, with similar results. The last widespread worker unrest in China came during the Asian financial crisis a decade ago, when the government dismantled cradle-to-grave welfare and slashed payrolls in struggling state-owned enterprises across the northern rust belt. At that time, protests were quickly suppressed and their leaders arrested, while the media was forbidden from covering them. Now, the main focus of ire is the private sector, which has been especially hard hit by the current economic meltdown. The surge in bankruptcies and layoffs has led to an increase in labor arbitration cases in Guangzhou. According to China Daily, a government-owned newspaper, there have been 60,000 cases so far this year, twice the previous year's rate. That's played a part in spurring the protests and an implicit recognition that workers need some kind of independent representation.
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