Photograph: Andy Feng / Shutterstock.com
CLB’s April 2023 mapping data again shows the rising trend of labour rights incidents in China’s manufacturing sector, and we also saw a pattern of food delivery rider strikes. For more on China’s gig economy, see our research explainer that we updated in April 2023.
But first, don’t miss the other content CLB has published recently:
- Surge of manufacturing protests in China deserves international attention. Since early January 2023, China Labour Bulletin has recorded 108 factory workers’ protests, over twice the amount logged in all of 2022. Reduced orders from international buyers and poor economic conditions have led factories to lay off workers, relocate to reduce costs, or shut down altogether. CLB’s study of these incidents reveals that the intent of China’s labour laws are not being followed, and international brands should take note of their responsibility to ensure suppliers comply with domestic laws.
- In an about-face, workers at a reputable Zhejiang garment factory strike over wage dispute. On 14 April, workers at the Jiaxing Quang Viet garment factory in Zhejiang province went on strike over decreased wages and unclear wage calculations. In our investigation, CLB found that the garment factory had a strong reputation for following China’s labour laws and even offered workers some additional benefits. This had engendered a sense of loyalty among workers, who were suddenly let down by pay cuts. The local union told CLB that it had tried to intervene in the workers’ “misunderstanding.” In response, CLB suggested that the union could have a role in acting as an intermediary among stakeholders, including international brands that the factory produces for, which include Adidas and New Balance.
- Global South workers have a new solution in light of brands’ unpaid Rana Plaza debt. Ten years on from the deadly Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that led to widespread calls for corporate accountability, CLB asks what - if anything - has changed for vulnerable workers in developing countries. CLB and our partners in Bangalore, India, seek a new solution of directly inviting brands to the bargaining table with workers and factory management to ensure that workers are not the ones continuously paying the price at the bottom of supply chains. New binding legislation on corporate due diligence may be useful at the workplace level to finally hold brands accountable, from the bottom up.
- May Day in Malaysia: Minimum guarantees for workers means a fairer society for all. For International Labour Day, CLB staff observed the annual May Day march and rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This year’s theme was “dignified salary and food security,” and labour rights advocates voiced their demands for improving minimum guarantees for workers in Malaysia. CLB staff spoke to organizers and participants, and reflected on the value of worker organizing and global solidarity.
Meituan riders strike in Guangdong and Inner Mongolia
Since January this year, CLB’s Strike Map has recorded only five collective actions by food delivery riders, but this already exceeds the number we recorded for all of 2022. In April 2023, there were three separate incidents by Meituan workers. Two occurred in Guangdong province, in Shenzhen and Shanwei; and one in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia. In all three strikes, Meituan workers demanded an increase in delivery rate per order.
The protest by Meituan workers in Shanwei received widespread attention. On April 21, the continuous rain over Guangdong province made working conditions difficult. However, Meituan cancelled a number of rider subsidies, including for inclement weather. The company also kept lowering the rate per delivery. When workers went on strike, Meituan mobilised a large number of riders from all across China to deliver in Shanwei, rather than respond to the local riders' demands. After the situation in Shanwei stabilised, Meituan restored the unit price to its previous level and partially reintroduced the subsidy.
Factory worker strikes are sign that manufacturing sector is still struggling
Pie Chart: CLB Strike Map incidents by industry (April 2023)
Following on a trend that started early this year, the number of manufacturing cases collected in April in the CLB Strike Map is once again relatively high. We recorded 34 collective actions by factory workers, which accounted for about one-third of the total. The geographic distribution of these incidents was predictable, with China’s manufacturing hub of Guangdong province accounting for 25 of the incidents, followed by Jiangsu with three.
As for sectors within the manufacturing industry, electronics factories recorded the most collective actions with ten, followed by the garment industry with seven. There were also strikes and protests in the automotive, petrochemical processing, and printing sectors. CLB has published a number of case studies and analysis on China’s manufacturing sector recently, and you can find these publications on our topic page here.
In one case that reveals how the domestic market has been affected, workers at a BYD vehicle factory in Changsha, Hunan province, went on strike on 20 April. BYD is a major domestic manufacturing conglomerate, and its Changsha facility produces complete product lines of consumer and commercial vehicles, including new energy vehicles.
According to videos posted online and collected in our Strike Map, workers were dissatisfied with low wages and, after striking, they resigned en masse. The reduction in downstream demand has led to a drop in production at BYD’s Changsha factory. Workers commented online that their basic wages had become less than 2,000 yuan per month, and their overtime was eliminated too. Because of the sudden drop in their incomes, workers submitted their resignation to look for other work. Workers said the factory rejected their resignations because “the resignation list is full.” BYD denied this allegation.
China’s construction industry continues to be site of vicious wage arrears problem
Map: CLB Workers’ Calls-for-Help Map incidents in the construction industry (April 2023)
CLB’s Calls-for-Help Map collected 180 incidents in April 2023. This collection of labour grievances is useful to compare with the data from our Strike Map and bring a new dimension to our understanding about labour trends. For example, in both maps, the overwhelming demand of workers is for wages in arrears, but the geographic distribution varies by map. In the Strike Map, construction industry incidents were concentrated in Guangdong province in April 2023. But in the Calls Map, the construction incidents - which accounted for about 46 percent of the total - are concentrated in Shaanxi province.
This concentration in Shaanxi is consistent with data from last year. In June 2022, CLB noticed this anomaly and urged the municipal federation in Shaanxi’s capital city of Xi’an to step up and understand the needs of workers. The rebound of this trend in the spring of 2023 indicates no improvement in worker representation by the various levels of unions in the region.
Our maps are free and publicly available on our website. Feel free to explore our databases and discover patterns and trends for yourself. You can contact us at clbeditor@clb.org.hk.