Another downside of freemarket that they never saw coming.

[Baitball Blogger]

Workers lock Coral Springs businessman in Chinese factory
A Coral Springs businessman said he is being held hostage in his manufacturing plant outside Beijing, China, for a fourth day on Monday by up to 100 workers demanding severance pay after quitting their jobs.

Charles "Chip" Starnes, 42, said he has been prevented from leaving his office in the plant in the Huairou district of the northeastern Beijing suburbs since Thursday evening.

"I'm in a complete shakedown right now, with no control, no access. I'm being blackmailed," Starnes said by telephone about midnight Sunday (noon Monday Beijing time). "It is a very bad situation that should not be happening."

Nolan Barkhouse, a press officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said a representative from the embassy's American Citizens Services traveled to the plant Monday afternoon and met with Starnes.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/nationworld/fl-coral-springs-man-china-hostage-20130624,0,3841178.story

[MrSlayer]

1. Treat people like shit and eventually they'll get tired of it.

I hope they make him pay what he owes. Scumbag.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. You can't make this stuff up.

More clips:

According to Starnes and Les Capella, co-owners of Specialty Medical Supplies, Inc., the imbroglio began early last week after Starnes told about 50 of the plant's 180 workers that they would be laid off due to a decision to stop producing one of the company's products, a blood lancet device used by diabetes patients.

The company intends to move production to Mumbai, India, said Capella.

The laid-off workers were given a severance of about $5,000, in keeping with Chinese labor laws, Capella said.

When the plant's other workers, who produce and package gauze pads, heard about the severance, "they said forget about it, we're done, we want the money too," said Capella.

[MrSlayer]

3. They're already offshoring from China for cheaper labor.

Unfuckingreal.

[Warpy]

5. When I went in to buy a cheap TV some years ago

I bought a Korean model and was amused to see "Made in China" on the sticker. Even the formerly cheap labor Koreans were outsourcing.

About the only place left after the Indian subcontinent will be Africa.

The good news is that they're leaving awakened workers in their wakes. I think we just might start seeing a new wave of organization very soon.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. You mean, like in Brazil?

[Warpy]

8. There is unrest in Brazil now

and it's not all over vinegar or higher priced bus fares. A lot of it is because wages are not being indexed to inflation.

[markiv]

4. it's awful that he feels at the receiving end of total leverage

it's just so unfair that some people deal with others that way

i'm sure he never expected that he would ever experience such a thing over there

(at least someone doing it to HIM, anyway - LOL)

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Well, here is the part that I really love.

There is no one who has less sympathy for this POS, than blue collar Republicans.

Wake up, sleeping giant.