The Intensification Of Labor Conflict In The Pearl River Delta Tests The Government'S Coordination Ability

The most important thing to solve the problem is that workers have the power to protect themselves, and at the same time let civil organizations develop, rather than the government's overall responsibility. Under the impact of macro-control and the global financial crisis since last year, the number of closures and layoffs of export processing and manufacturing enterprises in the Pearl River Delta has increased, followed by intensified labor conflicts. In 2008, the number of labor disputes in Guangdong increased three times over the same period last year.

At about 5:50 p.m. on November 25, more than 500 people attacked the police in Kaida Toy Factory, Zhongtang Town, Dongguan. The cause of the matter was an ordinary labor dispute - Kaida Toys Factory had terminated the contractual relationship with more than 380 workers, and the labor and management parties failed to reach an agreement on the compensation after the termination of the labor contract.

The labor conflict in Kaida Toy Factory is a fierce manifestation of the increasing labor conflict in the Pearl River Delta in the past year. According to the data of Social Responsibility International (SAI), the labor conflicts in Guangdong from January to June increased three times over the same period last year. Taking Shenzhen as an example, from January to September, the court system accepted 30000 cases of labor disputes, up from 8900 in the same period last year. The labor dispute arbitration system accepted 36000 labor dispute arbitration cases from January to October, compared with 10000 cases in the same period last year.

"There are also many labor disputes that have not gone through legal procedures. Last year, the number of conflicts caused by labor disputes officially announced has exceeded 10000. This year, there is no final data available, but experience and observation should greatly exceed last year," said Dr. Liu Kaiming, Director of Social Responsibility International (SAI).

Liu analyzed that if the enterprise is difficult to operate, it will be related to the factory and the dismissal of workers. At the same time, due to operating difficulties, business owners are unwilling to give economic compensation to workers in accordance with the law, sudden escape and other behaviors will lead to labor conflicts. The power of migrant workers to check and balance the capital is too weak, the trade union organization representing the interests of migrant workers is not perfect, and the private intermediary force is insufficient, which also makes the labor capital conflict easy to intensify into social problems.

As early as the end of October, Yin Weimin, the minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, put forward, when investigating the employment problem in Guangdong against the background of the financial crisis, that "the state hopes Guangdong will actively and steadily do a good job in the labor security work of closed enterprises, and the local government should make early warning and respond well". Although after the collapse of two large toys owned by Hejun Group in Zhangmutou Town, Dongguan City, the local government raised funds from the finance to advance the wages of nearly 7000 workers owed by the enterprise, which resolved a social crisis. However, the Kaida Toy Factory incident reflected the government's ability to resolve the collective labor conflict.

The future of export-oriented processing enterprises in the Pearl River Delta is still not optimistic. Take the shoemaking industry as an example, what we are facing is the reduction of export orders. "International brands tell me that 60% of them are clearing the warehouse and only 40% are placing orders.

According to the survey of daily necessities by the survey agency, the consumption of American shoes will decrease by 150 million pairs (next year). I think this (data) is very conservative, "said Li Peng, secretary general of the Asian Footwear Association, in an interview with the reporter of China Entrepreneur. Similar to the shoe industry, the manufacturing enterprises of toys, electronics, furniture, clothing, hardware... the whole Pearl River Delta export processing cannot escape the impact of the global financial crisis. Now is not the end of the labor conflict in the Pearl River Delta.

"Blocking the road, attacking the police... When workers are caught, the enterprise also has losses, and the government also has a big cost. We see that the labor conflict is growing. The most important thing (to solve the problem) is that workers have the strength to protect themselves, and at the same time let the non-governmental organizations develop, rather than the government's big package. All contradictions point to the government, and all difficulties are borne by the government, which is obviously unrealistic. " Liu Kaiming thinks so.