Dongguan Strike Highlights China’s Welfare Worries

Millions of migrant workers provided the muscle behind China’s export-driven economic rise. However, China’s labor relations are becoming more and more nervous, reported by “info.texnet.com.cn” a Chinese online media.

At least 5,000 went on strike according to labour rights groups on March 13 at the beginning, but the situation is getting worse now.

Strike action on Sunday at the outbreak, as a result of the local government of Guangdong Province had issued a new regulation on workers extracts the housing provident fund.

Workers demanded the immediate release of “housing fund”, that allowances required under Chinese law, which can range from 5 per cent to 20 per cent of workers’ monthly incomes.

Late last year, similar strikes happened in Heilongjiang province, northeastern China, involving as many as 20,000 teachers.

“With the transformation of manufacturing, a lot of problems affecting workers’ social security and other benefits have accumulated. ” and “There will be more strikes such as this.” a Chinese lawyer said.