Biggest Strike In China’s History Enters 6th Day: Police Arrested Organizers, Workers Battle SWAT

The largest strike in China’s history has entered the sixth day, defying state attempts to repress workers struggling against economic and social injustice. Police arrested several organizers of the strikers at the Yue Yuen factory, which produces shoes for Nike and Adidas.

As the situation deteriorates, the thousands of workers are ever angrier after the management of the factory completely denies any violations in the payment of their social security. Workers in Dongguan, where exists the largest labor rights movement, have taken solidarity actions with the strikers of Yue Yuen. Large numbers of workers in Dongguan – apparently in thousands – took it to the streets to protest wage injustice and the government’s oppression of migrant workers, and to demand the government pay the social security it owned to the workers.

The Dongguan workers warned the Yue Yuen strikers that the government and the companies want to use force against them.

The production of the factory is almost paralized, as party cadres have started a smearing campaign against workers calling them “traitors”. The police arrested several organizers. Strikers battled special police troops, SWAT, on the streets. They threw water bottles at riot police SWAT, which attacked them brutally and arrested several of them.

When the wife of an organizer learned that the police arrested her husband during the fifth night, thousands of people flocked the administrative center and all shouted that Mr. Yang be released immediately.

Biggest Strike In China’s History Enters 6th Day: Police Arrested Organizers, Workers Battle SWAT Troops

I did a search on this headline and found no matches so...

This is a few days old, but, would like to see a update on this situation, as I see some stories related to this on here but...

This could be bad for some manufacturing/product companies as large international businesses seem to be involved.

I applaud these people, as their government seems to have no regard for them or their human rights.

It will probably end up being a nothing event as "the powers that be" will crush this event and quash these news leaks covering this event somehow.

This contains quite a few images of the demonstrations.

BTW: This site seems to carry quite a few articles I haven't seen mentioned in any other MSM...
(This probably should of went into social issues and civil unrest)

I did find a update/related article covering this...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 00:01 by Reuters

One of China’s biggest strikes in years stretched into a second week yesterday, and spread from a huge shoe production complex in southern Guangdong province to a facility owned by the same company in neighbouring Jiangxi province.
Workers at the multi-factory Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd complex in the Guangdong city of Dongguan clocked in yesterday morning, but not for work, continuing a stoppage over what they say have been years of inadequate social insurance and housing provident fund contributions by the company.
In Jiangxi, more than 2,000 workers from a Yue Yuen factory that mainly produces shoes for Adidas AG went on strike on Friday and planned to continue yesterday, the US-based group China Labour Watch said.
“We’re continuing the strike,” said one worker in Dongguan, surnamed Zhou, contacted by telephone. “We swiped our cards and then went back (home). The other production lines in the same network are striking, too.”

www.timesofmalta.com...

Good,
They are worked so hard over there, for so little.

a reply to: Hx3_1963


I am not surprised this is not in the main stream media here either.
The elite here and there would wish it to go away.
I applaud them in their struggle.

sarcasm: These slackers need to get back to work and quit complaining

Tell me this dont sound familiar..

The production of the factory is almost paralized, as party cadres have started a smearing campaign against workers calling them “traitors”.

People who protest hear this all the time in the US.. So Communist china is taking notes from Free America?

a reply to: ThichHeaded

It's kind of ironic in a couple of ways eh?

Sad truth--they're only worked so hard over there for so little because we over here demand cheap 'ish.

People so rarely realize that the "bargains" they get in the grocery and department stores are coming at the suffering of those less fortunate. That .70 cents you're paying for bananas? Yeah, that's only possible because hundreds of human beings are being forced to endure in squalid misery and slave labor conditions.

That iGadget you're always staring at? Yeah, that's only possible to have at an x-hundred dollar price point because of slave labor and suicide nets at the Chinese factories where the iCrap is made.

People in Amerika and the rest of the first world complain about economic inequality within the limited sphere of their countries. But they never stop to consider that the massive standard of living they enjoy is only possible because they're standing on the backs of the billions who live on (and get paid!) just a few dollars per day.

Fact is, even if you think you've nothing to do with promulgating the misery of people in China, India, Africa, etc.-- then lol. Yes, that includes me too. I've also benefited from the spoils of slave labor in third-world countries. But I'd be willing to (admitted--reluctantly) give all this crap up for a more sustainable way of living for everyone.

What about you?

a reply to: Hx3_1963

Ya I put it was ironic, but apparently ATS dont like shift , and --- together..

a reply to: ThichHeaded

Just think how far the chinese people could go if they hadn't been disarmed of their guns by the communist tyrants so many years ago.

I hope the chinese people here in american stand with the american populace when the time comes - the russian soldiers also that are here.

a reply to: JonButtonIII

I agree we are addicted to "Live better, payless" attitudes here.

I "try" to buy local/USA products, but, it's hard as so many products are now outsourced to these third world conglomerates...

I think the way to destroy tptb in one very easy way is for everyone in the industrial world to go camping for one year. Everyone with a non essential job should just quit for a year and go camping. No taxes to pay no bills just living off the land in state parks. The control system will be irreparably destroyed and everyone has a running civilization to come back to afterwards.

a reply to: dashen

What? Camping in State Parks? For a year even?
How long will TPTB allow that kind of activity?

They'll probably do a land grab on that soon enough?

a reply to: Happy1

Maybe the people will wake up.. But looking at the Bundy racist thing, I think we are so screwed... I don't think most don't understand it is us vs them.. Always has Always will....

originally posted by: Hx3_1963
What? Camping in State Parks? For a year even?
How long will TPTB allow that kind of activity?

Police Shoot Homeless Man During Camping Arrest

Just saying.

Here's a related op-ed to this strike...

CHINA: Brands urged to uphold responsibility at Yue Yuen
www.just-style.com...

"The factory did not fully pay social insurance for the workers and the local government officials did not observe this unlawful practice. Workers also discovered the work contracts they are holding are not legally valid. They request the factory to pay back pension and housing fund arrears, re-sign valid work contract and raise the wage."

It added, however, that workers have ignored the role of international buyers in the dispute.

"Those buyers are much stronger and powerful. Yue Yuen supplies product for international big brands like Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Asics, New Balance, Puma, Converse, Salomon and Timberland. The workers have been producing shoes for these gigantic buyers and enterprises.

"Adidas and other international brands cannot ignore their corporate social responsibility in the labour dispute."

a reply to: ThichHeaded
Touche...

www.cnbc.com...

"The Chinese replace Russians as top apartment buyers"

quote
"For the first time, the Chinese have become the biggest foreign buyers of apartments in Manhattan, real estate brokers estimate, taking the mantle from the Russians—whose activity has dropped off since the unrest in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia by the United States."

unquote

Let the game begin.

a reply to: Hx3_1963

That's awful, China might be better off if they focused on more favorable trade relationships with the west. Instead of them focusing on competing for these extremely competitive "contracts" they could focus on other sectors of growth.

As for Apple and other American companies sending manufacturing jobs to China in order to reduce prices by only 30% or so, while paying their laborers less than 10% of an American wage, that's a no good. They should be automating these jobs in America or creating factories in countries with underdeveloped exports and human resources with a strong agriculture base (or create a strong agriculture base if necessary). There are other trade relationships that can be made with China that would be better for the world. Exporting these Chinese jobs to more underdeveloped countries laden with enormous potential of human resources, I think, would be better for most everyone, this could also strengthen America and further globalize the economy.

Brilliant

It's good to see china is united against its government unlike North Korea

China is a slave country for corporations that want to make an ever growing profit margin. The leaders of china are in on it and don`t want the population to know this hence the control of internet.

Now the cat is out of the bag and the people are tired of being a foot stool. Good on them!

I hope we feel it here so we are reminded that we must give our money to those who do things right. I know it is not easy to be responsible, but that is the only way.

a reply to: bitsforbytes

I know it is not easy to be responsible, but that is the only way. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

That might not be the ONLY way, but it certainly is a viable option to start with.

That said, what would come next? Do we/they just accept another form a status quo, or do we/they keep running with the scissors, so to speak, and get what we/they want?

we/they = Commenting from outside of China/China

Perhaps overhaul the global economy? Globalization through monetary economics clearly does not work. At least it doesn't work for everyone.