Two new strikes, one in Shanghai and another in Guangdong, are shining a spotlight once more on the constant challenge of labor unrest in China, following a similar wave of such strikes earlier this year. One of the latest strikes saw thousands of workers go off the job at Wintek (Taipei: 2384), a Taiwanese maker of touch screens and a supplier to gadget giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). The other saw employees walk off the job at a warehouse owned by recently listed e-commerce JD.com (Nasdaq: JD) in Shanghai. Read Full Post…
The recent wave of labor unrest at big multinational factories has taken a step into China’s heartland, with word that hundreds of workers at a Shanghai plant operated by toilet giant Toto (Tokyo: 5332) went on strike last week. But the unrest was reportedly short lived, with the strike lasting just 3 days before the workers agreed to go return to their jobs. The strike and its rapid resolution reflects growing boldness among workers to demand better working conditions, which looks worrisome not only to employers but also to Chinese officials obsessed with maintaining public order. Read Full Post…
A time of year typically known for labor unrest is taking a worrisome twist, with major new strikes occurring at top microwave oven maker Galanz and shoe making giant Yue Yuen (HKEx: 551), whose clients include Nike and Adidas. These latest signs of labor unrest in the important Pearl Delta manufacturing hub come just weeks after workers staged another strike at an IBM (NYSE: IBM) factory being sold to Chinese PC leader Lenovo (HKEx: 992). The fact that these industry leaders are seeing such major problems so early in the year hints at even bigger problems for smaller factories, which are struggling under the weight of soaring costs and sagging export orders. Read Full Post…
