中
  1. Mainland China
  2. Labour News

Labour News

While the whole world shops, who cares about those who deliver?

2021-03-08

November is a global shopping carnival. The “Double 11” Shopping Festival in China is followed by the “Black Friday” shopping week towards the end of November. Despite the thrills and joys of shoppers and merchants, the issues of exploitation of delivery people are often overlooked. While freelancing in goods and food delivery is getting prevalent, there is an undertone of labour exploitation in the name of freedom and flexibility. Under an ambivalent Employer-employee relationship, courier workers all over the world are under risks like unstable income and lack of protection.

Workers in China under COVID-19

2020-11-05

The global Covid-19 pandemic has already disrupted the global economy and production order, while in China, where the pandemic first broke out, is not immune to such disruption. The unemployment rate in large cities announced by the government has risen by more than 15% since November 2019, until dropping to 5.7% in August this year. In April, China recorded a real GDP growth rate of only 3.2%, the slowest growth since 1992.

The historical significance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests to the new generation of Chinese activists

2020-06-16

"Therefore, our goal is to overthrow this unjust regime, instead of expecting it to correct its wrongdoing, hoping that this regime will show justice."

Unemployment in China may hit 70 million Workers in electronics industry face massive layoffs

2020-05-06

Since February, various parts of China has resumed work and production when the COVID-19 pandemic was reportedly under control. However, due to the serious epidemic in Europe and the United States, orders from abroad have been greatly reduced, which takes another dent into the Chinese economy. Many factories face closures, while workers are furloughed and dismissed. Foxconn and Shanghai Pegatron, the two largest OEMs of Apple's mobile phones in China, have laid off employees due to a major business decline.

The Bubble Revolution in Chinese Football: Lives at the Bottom of the League

2020-03-05

In November 2019, Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao regained the Chinese Super Football League (hereinafter: CSL) and won the title 8 times in 9 years. It is estimated that each player in the team would receive a bonus of approximately RMB 1.5 million to 2 million. However, at the other end of the professional football hierarchy, players from Hunan Billows F.C., who are playing in the third and lowest tier professional football league, China League Two (hereinafter: League Two), were forced to take to the streets to defend their labour rights as they had not been paid for more than one year. Despite being professional footballer, the disparity in the treatment of players in different Chinese leagues is staggering.

Mission to Cambodia-a Country Fully Integrated by China

2020-03-05

Due to geopolitical reasons, China has a very large influence on Cambodia historically. As China's economic might continue to strengthen, China's economic impact on Cambodia is also increasing. In recent years, the Chinese government has always stressed that Chinese investment is beneficial to local development in her official propaganda; however, the actual situation seen during our visit to Cambodia with the ITUC was quite different.

Persistence under the Political Winter: Xiangzi and Heart Sanitation

2020-03-05

The founder of “Heart Sanitation”, Chen Weixiang (better known as Xiangzi), and two staff members were arrested by the Guangzhou Police on December 17, 2019. Friends of Xiang Zi released news on December 23 stating that they had been subjected to fifteenth days of "administrative detention" on charges of " Picking quarrels and provoking trouble." After the administrative detention period expired, Xiangzi was released on January 2, 2020.

Women's rights activist and journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin detained

2019-10-28

Ms Huang is an independent journalist and a women's rights activist, famous for bringing the #MeToo movement to the public. On 17 October, she was detained by Guangzhou City police, for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". Reportedly, Huang participated in Hong Kong's anti-extradition law protest in June. 

Huang is a well-known advocate for women's rights, gender equality, rights of vulnerable groups, ant-corruption and environmental issues.

Cathay Pacific, is it a victim of White Terror or a perpetrator?

2019-10-26

In the past 4 months, anti-extradition law protestors in Hong Kong have proven to the world that they are persistent and firm with their demands. Protesters from different walks of life, sectors took part in assemblies, writing campaigns and strikes. Despite police brutality, they continue to voice out loudly. The Hong Kong Government, instead of listening to the people, deploys various vicious measures, hoping to silence the people. Beijing, "the black hand behind all these chaos", continues to believe money is the solution and threatens Hong Kong workers with layoffs. Employees in the aviation sector are among those most retaliated ones.

Report on food delivery rider unrest (2017-2018)

2019-10-22

It is generally believed that delivery workers could hardly protest with collective effort, as they are individuals in the gig economy. However, data shows a phenomenon of the opposite: A total of 47 protests had been launched by delivery workers between August 2017 and July 2018; collective actions took place more frequently especially at later stage, i.e. between May and July 2018, that was referred to as “national food delivery worker unrest”. This report will introduce the background of the industry, its emergence, working conditions of delivery workers, and analyse their protests in the past year.