Shoe factory workers show that collective bargaining is already a reality in Guangdong (China)

[Omaha Steve]

X post in GD & Socialist-Progressive

http://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/shoe-factory-workers-show-collective-bargaining-already-reality-guangdong

2 January, 2015
Guangdong’s new Regulations on Collective Contracts in Enterprises (广东省企业集体合同条例 went into effect yesterday, 1 January. However, just last month, several thousand shoe factory workers in Guangzhou showed they already know how to negotiate a deal with management through collective bargaining.

More than 2,500 workers at Lide Shoes took strategically-timed strike action in December that succeeded in bringing management to the negotiating table and led to an agreement on the payment of social insurance and housing fund contributions, overtime and annual leave payments as well as high-temperature subsidies.


Lide shoe factory workers on strike in December 2014. Photo from workers’ Weibo.


After two strikes and three rounds of bargaining, Taiwanese-owned Lide agreed on 17 December to pay social insurance contributions dating back to 1995 and to a one-off compensation package of between 2,000 yuan and 12,000 yuan, depending on employees’ years of service. The company was also forced to disclose any future relocation plans and continue the dialogue with the workers’ representatives. Management further agreed in writing that it would not retaliate against those representatives.

The industrial action has now ended and the employees have returned to work.

FULL story at link.