China Tells Businesses to Unionize

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: NYT

SHANGHAI — Some of the world’s biggest corporations are facing intense pressure from China to allow the state-approved union to form in their Chinese plants and offices. But many companies fear admitting the unions will give their Chinese employees the power to slow or disrupt their operations and will significantly increase the cost of doing business here.

The companies, many of which moved to China to lower manufacturing costs and some to avoid unions in their home countries as well, are now being asked to meet a Sept. 30 deadline to make their offices and factories union shops.

Companies that do not comply risk being publicly vilified or blacklisted by the union, and perhaps penalized by the government, since businesses are required by law to allow unions to form.

Lawyers and analysts say that demands of the All China Federation of Trade Unions, the only union the Communist Party allows, could sharply alter business practices of foreign companies in China, including giving lower-level workers the power to bargain over anything from pay raises to whether a Chinese headquarters should be moved elsewhere in the country.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/business/worldbusiness/12yuan.html?em

[denverbill]

1. Pretty sad to think Chinese workers have more rights than Americans.

Kind of pathetic actually.

[OhioChick]

2. You're not kidding. n/t

[bettyellen]

11. only on paper. they reality is lots grimmer, i 'm afraid.

and it's our doing... market forces. american consumers don;t want to pay the costs.

[The2ndWheel]

3. "state-approved union"

Sort of like needing a permit to protest. You can protest, but it'll be made sure that you're not toooooooo effective.

[Mugweed]

4. "significantly raise the cost of doing business here"

Definition: They may no longer be able to pay slave wages, and that might eat into the huge profits they've been reaping by low pay, low environmental standards, no OSHA requirements, etc.

[sam sarrha]

5. we actually shipped factories there.. we wont be able to get them back....

[Yavin4]

6. This Is A Fake Union

This is a state approved union, which more than likely will represent communist party interests, not workers interests.

It's like having the mob run the union.

[katty]

7. 'state-approved union' aka window dressing

[Joe Chi Minh]

9. Then what's the problem? Why the lawyers' and analysts' wailing and gnashing of teeth?

Or is it part of the "con", playing along? "Don't throw us in the briar patch, we feel so threatened by it...."

[madrchsod]

8. they`ll move to india or viet nam

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. Good! Such scum are a liability everywhere. At least the Chinese will be free of them.

[bettyellen]

12. and signapore... korea. many already have.

the chinese oversee them.