- published: 17 Apr 2014
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China Labour Bulletin (CLB) is a non-governmental organization that promotes and defends workers’ rights in the People’s Republic of China. It is based in Hong Kong and was founded in 1994 by labour activist Han Dongfang. The CLB advocates stronger protection for the rights for Chinese workers, and has expressed optimism that their conditions will improve through peaceful and legal action.
CLB supports the development of democratic trade unions in China, the enforcement of the PRC’s labour laws, and the full participation of workers in the creation of civil society. In addition, CLB seeks the official recognition in China of international standards and conventions providing for workers’ freedom of association and the right to free collective bargaining.
In 2002 CLB established a labour rights litigation programme designed to give workers the chance to seek redress for their grievances through the PRC’s court system. The organization provides legal advice for workers and arranges for mainland Chinese lawyers to handle their cases. By October 2007, it had taken on about 140 cases involving such issues as non-payment of wages, industrial injury, and redundancy (unemployment) payments. It also addresses the problem of employment discrimination, in particular, raising awareness of and combating discrimination against the estimated 120 million Hepatitis B positive Chinese.
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a one-party state governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces; five autonomous regions; four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing); two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau); and claims sovereignty over Taiwan.
Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, China is the world's second-largest country by land area, and either the third or fourth-largest by total area, depending on the method of measurement. China's landscape is vast and diverse, ranging from forest steppes and the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in the arid north to subtropical forests in the wetter south. The Himalaya, Karakoram, Pamir and Tian Shan mountain ranges separate China from South and Central Asia. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the third- and sixth-longest in the world, run from the Tibetan Plateau to the densely populated eastern seaboard. China's coastline along the Pacific Ocean is 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi) long, and is bounded by the Bohai, Yellow, East and South China Seas.
Han Dongfang (born 1963) has been an advocate for workers' rights in China for more than two decades during which time he has won numerous international awards including the 1993 Democracy Award from the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy.
Born in the impoverished village of Nanweiquan in Shanxi, Han first came to international prominence when, as a railway worker in Beijing, he helped set up the Beijing Workers’ Autonomous Federation (BWAF) during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The BWAF was the People's Republic of China's first independent trade union, established as an alternative to the Party-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
The BWAF was disbanded after the June 4 crackdown, and Han was placed at the top of the Chinese government’s most wanted list. Han turned himself into the police and was imprisoned for 22 months without trial until he contacted tuberculosis in prison and was released in April 1991. He spent a year in the U.S. undergoing medical treatment before returning to China in August 1993. On his return, he was arrested in Guangzhou and expelled to Hong Kong, where he still lives today.
CLB's Communication Director Geoffrey Crothall talks about labour unrest in China and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions' role on national television.
Han Dongfang, a leading advocate on Chinese workers' rights, talks to Annette Young about how social media has helped Chinese people find their voice and stand up against exploitation and abuse. 01/13/2014 THE INTERVIEW An interview with a French or international personality from the world of economics, politics, culture or diplomacy. All shows: http://www.france24.com/en/list/emission/18004 FRANCE 24 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 24/7 http://www.france24.com
The China Labour Bulletin says Apple's iPhone supplier, Foxconn, uses young interns who have "little choice" over whether to work there. The group concedes the use of interns by manufacturers in China is widespread, but is speaking out ahead of the launch of the latest iteration of the iPhone.
Today we discuss with comrades from the China Labour Bulletin the ongoing incidents against workers' safety in the health sector and the pending legal case of a labour activist facing trial and jail for protesting against a factory closure.
Han Dongfang is the founder and director of China Labour Bulletin (CLB), and has been an advocate for workers' rights in China for more than two decades. He first came to international prominence when, as a railway worker in Beijing, he helped set up China's first independent trade union, the Beijing Autonomous Workers' Federation (BAWF), during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. He was expelled to Hong Kong in 1993, where the following year he set up CLB. In addition to his work at CLB, Han is on the board of Human Rights in China, and conducts regular interviews with Chinese workers on Radio Free Asia. Hong Kong Business Association Advertisement: http://bit.ly/toNB0N China Labor Bulletin News Paper Advertisement: http://clb.org.hk/en/node/100884
We speak with @USILive coordinator Jennifer Cheung, and, Geoff Crothall and Liu Jiayi of the China Labour Bulletin in two seperate conversations about the fightback by workers and their trade union against a closure by Walmart involving 150 workers.
An interview with Han Dong Fan, founder of China Labour Bulletin and former railway worker and spokesperson for the Beijing Autonomous Workers Trade Union during the Tiananmen demonstrations in 1989. In this interview Han Dong Fan discusses the role of workers and the possibilities for change in China. www.asianfoodworker.net
3401MR CHINA-LABOUR
This piece was published in China Labour Bulletin http://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/tide-begins-turn-migrant-workers-embrace-new-opportunities-closer-home
The Long March of Chinese Labour -- workers organising inside China. Zhang Lingji, China Labour Bulletin
Interview with Han Dongfang, Advocate and Founder, China Labour Bulletin, China at the Tällberg Forum 2011.
CLB's Communication Director Geoffrey Crothall talks about labour unrest in China and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions' role on national television.
This news report appeared on 23 December 2015 on CCTV 13's Law Online program. For more information on this case: "In defense of Zeng Feiyang: a critique of the smear campaign", https://libcom.org/news/defense-zeng-feiyang-critique-smear-campaign-25122015 "Chinese labour activists stand accused by state media", http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-labour-idUKKBN0U60FD20151223 "A 70-year-old woman is suing China’s state media giant Xinhua for defaming her son", http://qz.com/664925/a-70-year-old-woman-is-suing-chinas-state-media-giant-xinhua-for-defaming-her-son/ "A letter to the People’s Daily on China Labour Bulletin’s work with labour activists in China" http://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/letter-people%E2%80%99s-daily-china-labour-bulletin%E2%80%99s-work-labour-activists-china
Today we discuss with comrades from the China Labour Bulletin the ongoing incidents against workers' safety in the health sector and the pending legal case of a labour activist facing trial and jail for protesting against a factory closure.
We speak with @USILive coordinator Jennifer Cheung, and, Geoff Crothall and Liu Jiayi of the China Labour Bulletin in two seperate conversations about the fightback by workers and their trade union against a closure by Walmart involving 150 workers.
China is home to approximately 1.35 billion people, which makes it the most populous country in the world. The law of supply and demand tells us that since the supply of workers is greater than the demand for low-wage workers, wages stay low. Moreover, the majority of Chinese were rural and lower-middle-class or poor and until the late 20th century when internal migration turned the country's rural-urban distribution upside-down. Immigrants to industrial cities are willing to work many shifts for low wages. China doesn’t follow (not strictly at least) laws related to child labor or minimum wages, which are more widely observed in the West. However, this situation may change. According to the China Labour Bulletin, from 2009 to 2014 minimum wages have almost doubled in mainland China. Shan...
The China Labour Bulletin says Apple's iPhone supplier, Foxconn, uses young interns who have "little choice" over whether to work there. The group concedes the use of interns by manufacturers in China is widespread, but is speaking out ahead of the launch of the latest iteration of the iPhone.
China is home to approximately 1.35 billion people, which makes it the most populous country in the world. The law of supply and demand tells us that since the supply of workers is greater than the demand for low-wage workers, wages stay low. Moreover, the majority of Chinese were rural and lower-middle-class or poor and until the late 20th century when internal migration turned the country's rural-urban distribution upside-down. Immigrants to industrial cities are willing to work many shifts for low wages. China doesn’t follow (not strictly at least) laws related to child labor or minimum wages, which are more widely observed in the West. However, this situation may change. According to the China Labour Bulletin, from 2009 to 2014 minimum wages have almost doubled in mainland China. Shan...
Where does all the stuff you buy at Wall mart/Carrefour/Giant supermarket come from? Right here in China's "Factory City" video by Mark Foerster DP Reels at https://vimeo.com/user6862231 Mark Foerster - DP Why China Is "The World's Factory" Question: What do Lightening McQueen, a Nike sneaker and an iPad have in common? Answer: China. Chinese products seem to be everywhere: the majority of tags, labels and stickers display the legend “Made in China.” The Western consumer may ask, “why is everything made in China?” Some may think the ubiquity of Chinese products is due to the abundance of cheap Chinese labor that brings down the production costs, but there is much more to it. Here are five reasons China is "the world's factory.” Lower Wages China is home to approximately 1.35 billion...
Factory of the World Made in China - Documentary China is home to approximately 1.35 billion people, which makes it the most populous country in the world. The law of supply and demand tells us that since the supply of workers is greater than the demand for low-wage workers, wages stay low. Moreover, the majority of Chinese were rural and lower-middle-class or poor and until the late 20th century when internal migration turned the country's rural-urban distribution upside-down. Immigrants to industrial cities are willing to work many shifts for low wages. China doesn’t follow (not strictly at least) laws related to child labor or minimum wages, which are more widely observed in the West. However, this situation may change. According to the China Labour Bulletin, from 2009 to 2014 minimum...
China doesn’t follow (not strictly at least) laws related to child labor or minimum wages, which are more widely observed in the West. However, this situation may change. According to the China Labour Bulletin, from 2009 to 2014 minimum wages have almost doubled in mainland China. Shanghai’s minimum hourly rate is now up to 17 yuan ($2.78) per hour or 1,820 yuan ($297.15) a month. In Shenzhen the rate is 1,808 yuan per month ($295.19) and 16.50 yuan ($2.69) per hour based on an exchange rate of 1 yuan = $0.16. The huge labor pool in China helps to produce in bulk, accommodate any seasonal industry requirement, and even cater to sudden rises in the demand schedule
China is home to approximately 1.35 billion people, which makes it the most populous country in the world. The law of supply and demand tells us that since the supply of workers is greater than the demand for low-wage workers, wages stay low. Moreover, the majority of Chinese were rural and lower-middle-class or poor and until the late 20th century when internal migration turned the country's rural-urban distribution upside-down. Immigrants to industrial cities are willing to work many shifts for low wages. China doesn’t follow (not strictly at least) laws related to child labor or minimum wages, which are more widely observed in the West. However, this situation may change. According to the China Labour Bulletin, from 2009 to 2014 minimum wages have almost doubled in mainland China. Shan...
New Documentary - Factory of the World - Made in China - 2016 documentary national geographic, documentary 2, documentary bbc, documentary history channel, documentary films, documentary now, documentary 2 the game, documentary 2.5, documentary discovery channel, documentary history, documentary animals, documentary ancient, documentary about dreams, documentary about mysteries, documentary africa, Why China Is "The World's Factory" Question: What do Lightening McQueen, a Nike sneaker and an iPad have in common? Answer: China. Chinese products seem to be everywhere: the majority of tags, labels and stickers display the legend “Made in China.” The Western consumer may ask, “why is everything made in China?” Some may think the ubiquity of Chinese products is due to the abundance of cheap C...
Question: What do Lightening McQueen, a Nike sneaker and an iPad have in common? Answer: China. Chinese products seem to be everywhere: the majority of tags, labels and stickers display the legend “Made in China.” The Western consumer may ask, “why is everything made in China?” Some may think the ubiquity of Chinese products is due to the abundance of cheap Chinese labor that brings down the production costs, but there is much more to it. Here are five reasons China is "the world's factory.” Lower Wages China is home to approximately 1.35 billion people, which makes it the most populous country in the world. The law of supply and demand tells us that since the supply of workers is greater than the demand for low-wage workers, wages stay low. Moreover, the majority of Chinese were rural a...
New Documentary - Factory of the World - Made in China - 2016 documentary national geographic, documentary 2, documentary bbc, documentary history channel, documentary films, documentary now, documentary 2 the game, documentary 2.5, documentary discovery channel, documentary history, documentary animals, documentary ancient, documentary about dreams, documentary about mysteries, documentary africa, Why China Is "The World's Factory" Question: What do Lightening McQueen, a Nike sneaker and an iPad have in common? Answer: China. Chinese products seem to be everywhere: the majority of tags, labels and stickers display the legend “Made in China.” The Western consumer may ask, “why is everything made in China?” Some may think the ubiquity of Chinese products is due to the abundance of cheap C...
Unions, Workers, and Resistance in China Today China has been the fastest growing major economy in the world for three decades. It is also home to some of the largest, most incendiary, and most underreported labour struggles of our time. But under China’s labour management system, independent unionism is severely restricted, and the ACFTU official trade union body monopolizes worker representation for more than 800 million workers. Independent organizations are barred from agitating for their interests, despite growing wealth inequalities, and where long hours, safety hazards, and authoritarian management define life in the factories. But this has not prevented the emergence of workers’ resistance and fightbacks across almost all sectors of work. The China Labour Bulletin reports that th...