A Chinese city’s push to ban construction workers from publicly protesting unpaid wages has drawn disapproval from the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, signaling official discord over efforts to curb rising labor unrest.
Criticism from the People’s Daily came after lawmakers in the central city of Zhengzhou deliberated this month proposed changes to construction-sector rules that would proscribe a range of methods commonly used by workers to claim backpay.
In a Wednesday commentary, the newspaper targeted a clause that would outlaw attempts to disrupt construction work in the industrial city of more than 9 million people. The rule would bar protesting workers from climbing buildings or cranes, cutting electrical and water supply to job sites, and storming project facilities.
Acknowledging an ongoing bout of “heated debate” over Zhengzhou’s proposal, the People’s Daily said local authorities should bear part of the blame for a recent uptick of disruptive wage protests.
While some migrant workers lack awareness of lawful means for resolving wage disputes, the surge in labor unrest also stems from “the lack of initiative on the part of relevant government departments,” the People’s Daily said. “If migrant workers’ wage arrears are handled properly, why would anyone still climb buildings or scale tower cranes?”
Such high-risk protests have played out across China from time to time, carried out by workers who say they were driven to desperation by deadbeat employers and impassive officials. In Zhengzhou, a recent case involved a construction worker who scaled a nearly 200-meter tall crane last July to seek more than 10,000 yuan ($1,540) in unpaid wages, before being persuaded to climb down hours later, according to local media reports.
The proposed rules would also bar workers in Zhengzhou from pursuing unpaid wages by unlawfully gathering outside government offices or in public spaces, blockading or storming state institutions, blocking traffic, or harassing and assaulting officials.
Many of these activities are already illegal under existing Chinese law. It wasn’t clear why Zhengzhou authorities want to add specific bans to the city’s construction-sector regulations, which were last updated in late 1995 and don’t currently contain clauses related to labor protests or unpaid wages.
The municipal government and legislature in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
An inland city that has pursued rapid infrastructural development in recent years, Zhengzhou is particularly exposed—like many fast-growing Chinese urban centers—to rising construction worker strife. It wasn’t clear whether Zhengzhou has experienced more labor unrest than other comparable cities. China rarely publishes data on public protests.
Industrial strife across China has surged amid sagging economic growth. According toChina Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based advocacy group, the number of labor protests on the mainland doubled last year, with more than two-thirds of the incidents linked to unpaid wages. The problem is prevalent in the construction industry, where the ubiquitous practice of subcontracting leaves workers vulnerable to cashflow disruptions higher up in the payment chain.
Authorities have urged targeted efforts to curb the problem of unpaid wages. In January, the State Council—China’s cabinet—recommended stronger legal, financial and administrative oversight over select industries rife with wage arrears.
Despite this directive, “some local government departments still carry dismissive and defensive attitudes toward migrant workers’ demands for unpaid wages and tend to shirk responsibility,” the People’s Daily said. “Judicial agencies, as the last line of defense, must also act as a backstop.”
The People’s Daily commentary reflects a degree of disappointment within top policy-making circles over recent efforts to ease worker tensions. Local governments often demur on Beijing’s calls for stricter policing of deadbeat bosses, given their longstanding inclination to favor business interests in labor disputes. Judicial authorities, meanwhile, often fail to enforce rulings against errant employers.
“What this article seems to indicate is that these complicated, myriad measures are not working, complied with or enforced,” said Youngmo Yoon, a Beijing-based senior specialist in industrial relations at the International Labour Organization. “It points to an ineffective labor inspection system, both in terms of their monitoring and supervision efforts, as well as their enforcement mandate.”
The People’s Daily, however, was tellingly silent on the role of trade unions, Mr. Yoon said. Few construction workers are union members, and in China, all official trade unions are led by the Communist Party and often side with employers during disputes.
Local officials meanwhile are facing greater pressure from Beijing to curb public unrest, a trend that may have influenced Zhengzhou’s proposal for specific bans on wage protests. Last month, the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council issued a joint directive warning party and state officials “at all levels” of governance that they will lose their jobs if they fail to control public unrest.
“Officials are in a bind,” said Mr. Yoon, the ILO specialist. “They face disciplinary action if protest action takes place, so they want to frighten workers away from taking action.” http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/04/27/desperate-measures-peoples-daily-raps-local-officials-over-china-labor-unrest/
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