Our 10 most recent articles.
China’s trade unions caught in the headlights of the coronavirus crisis
CLB conducted a series of interviews with trade union officials in China in order to gauge their response to the coronavirus crisis and understand what steps they had taken to protect workers’ health, economic interests and legal rights.
01 April 2020
Collective protests begin to flare up again as China returns to work
After a month in which there were virtually no worker protests in China because much of the country was on lockdown, workers are beginning to take collective action again. Many protests have been related to the economic distress caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic.
17 March 2020
Workers in limbo as authorities struggle for a coherent coronavirus policy
The government's need to get the economy moving again while controlling the spread of Covid-19 has left workers uncertain of whether or not they can return to work and the dangers they face if they do.
20 February 2020
Holding China’s trade unions to account
CLB conducts a one year, in-depth investigation into the All-China Federation of Trade Union’s reform initiative.
17 February 2020
Construction workers under pressure as more cities rush to build hospitals
Several Chinese cities including Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen have announced plans to build new hospitals in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan.
06 February 2020
Calls to set up a professional football players trade union in China
In response to the growing problem of wage arrears in China’s lower league teams, some commentators are calling for the establishment of a football players’ trade union to help defend players’ rights and ensure they are paid in full and on time.
22 January 2020
The state of labour relations in China, 2019
CLB examines the key developments and emerging trends in worker activism in China in 2019
13 January 2020
Labour activist Chen Weixiang released from detention
Labour activist Chen Weixiang and two associates have been released after spending 15 days in administrative detention.
03 January 2020
Focus on hospital violence obscures basic problems of pay and working conditions
Workplace safety is a major issue in China’s hospitals but the vast majority of collective protests by medical staff are triggered by wage arrears, the failure of employers to pay social insurance contributions and bonuses, or arbitrary changes in employment status.
30 December 2019
Bankruptcy and wage arrears are the latest trends in China’s fitness centres
There has been a surge in the number of collective protests by employees at gyms and fitness centres in China this year. At least 40 protests, nearly all related to wage arrears following gym closures, have been recorded on China Labour Bulletin’s Strike Map so far this year, compared with 15 last year, and just one incident in the whole of 2015.
04 December 2019