China Labour Bulletin is quoted in the following broadcast. Copyright remains with the original broacaster.
We called the experts in Hong Kong to learn about the harsh labor conditions and brutal management culture. The images of suicides, protests, stolen wages, and prison labor are, according to our expert in China, fairly typical. These are the conditions against which Americans are expected to compete according to multi-national corporations and U.S. trade policies. However, the news is not all bad. Chinese wages are rising, there is a shortage of labor, and Chinese and American profits are high. The next step: businesses are moving their facilities to less-prosperous places like Vietnam and Cambodia where labor costs remain low. What is the future for Chinese labor? What can save them from these conditions? The expert says, “A strong union movement”. It’s their only hope. And what about America? Listen and learn.