Angry, voiceless workers halt steel reform

The steel cases merely represented the most visible tip of the iceberg in which trade unions are blamed for serving no purpose between employees and employers. The Global Times reported on July 24 the suicide of Sun Danyong, an employee of Foxconn Technology Group, who was held responsible for misplacing a prototype after a sample Apple iPhone had gone missing. In this case trade union involvement was conspicuous by its absence.

Then there was the case of Zhang Haichao, forced to have his chest opened by surgeons to prove he had a deadly lung disease after his employer refused to provide a certificate showing he had been working in a polluted environment. Not one mention of a trade union has appeared in any media report.

To Xie Yi, a trade union is much more like a charity than the role outlined by law.

“In my opinion, the trade union appears only before holidays or when someone suffered a misfortune. It seems like the trade union is only responsible for expressing sympathy, greetings and spreading labor protection articles,” the 34-year-old Beijing State company employee told the Global Times.

Zhou Yongkun, a professor of Suzhou University in Jiangsu Province, explained in his blog why the trade union under the current economic system is incapable of solving disputes.

“Under the traditional Chinese centrally planned economic system, where the government authority was combined with company management, the right of freedom of association with others was easily considered as an anti-government organization as the trade union was capable of solving disputes between employers and employees,” he said.

“However, under the market economy system, companies are independent from the government in dealing with their management issues and the trade union has transformed into a tool for shareholders.

“The trade union has become incorporated with management, so it will act in accordance with shareholders’ interests. Since it carries the order of shareholders, when incidents happen like this, its only choice is to keep silent.”

Safety valve

As China experiences a global economic pinch, society urgently needs more rational ways for workers to make their voices heard.

The steel case prompted Zhou to make two far-reaching conclusions:
“First, the appeal raised by those workers was justified. That’s why it was finally accepted by the government.

“Second, the trade union in this factory was useless. Before the enforcement of the decision, there was no debate or hearings, which all boils down to one problem: There is no rational channel of dialogue between the high and low level,” he wrote in his blog.

Irrational measures of expression are increasing tension and disharmony within society. If the workers in Tonghua steel plant had peacefully exercised their right to freedom of association with others and talked with management, Chen would still be alive and social order would not be threatened, according to Zhou.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states everyone should enjoy the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for protection of their interests.

From this perspective, he argued, freedom of association would be a rational response to resolving such disputes while also maintaining a harmonious social order.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions on August 14 responded to the issue by issuing a notification requiring unions in restructuring enterprises increase transparency and make full play of the functions of the workers’ representative conferences