Hailiang Storage (Hitachi) Workers Strike in Shenzhen

• Date: Dec 4 2011 Time: 19:11
• Description:
  From AFP: Hundreds of workers protested for a fifth straight day on Thursday at a Japanese plant in southern China, a company official said, in the latest labour unrest in the country's manufacturing hub. Nearly 1,000 workers have downed tools since Sunday at disk drive maker Hailiang Storage Products Co, blocking the entrance and accusing bosses of "bullying" Chinese workers, state media and a rights group said. The factory in the southern city of Shenzhen is operated by Japan's Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, which is in the process of being taken over by US firm Western Digital. Workers, who fear the acquisition will result in lower wages, hoisted banners saying "We also know our rights" and "Japanese companies shamelessly bully Chinese workers", said US-based China Labor Watch. The company official, who declined to be named, told AFP that talks to resolve the strike were continuing. Since November, thousands of workers in factories in southern China and elsewhere have gone on strike, protesting over low salaries, wage cuts and poor conditions as companies cut back amid the global economic slowdown. Labour activists say authorities in China appear to be more sympathetic to grievances against factories funded by foreign companies or overseas Chinese investors from Hong Kong and Taiwan than domestically-owned plants. Another two-week strike in November by nearly 1,000 workers over rest breaks and salaries paralysed a Shenzhen factory in which Japanese watchmaker Citizen has a stake. The strike ended after factory bosses agreed to give workers 70 percent of their normal hourly rate for rest breaks. At a Shenzhen factory owned by Hong Kong women's underwear maker Top Form International, hundreds of workers refused to return to their sewing machines for several days last month over overtime pay. Production resumed after the factory paid every worker 1,000 yuan ($157). From Xinhua: 新华网深圳12月7日电 深圳一家日资企业近千名工人从12月4日晚上11点开始罢工聚集，其中数百名员工从5日早晨起围堵在厂办公楼门前和楼梯间，并派出代表与厂方谈判，至今没结果。厂方表示，已在政府部门与上级工会的协调下正在与员工代表协商，并已就此事向总部汇报相关情况，以期尽快对员工诉求做出回应。 这家企业名为深圳海量存储设备公司，属于日立环球存储科技公司（日企）全资子公司。罢工起因是日立环球将公司卖给另一家美资企业西部数据引起。据海量公司相关负责人王飒介绍，西部数据于今年3月7日签署收购日立环球存储科技公司，若能获得审批通过，预计在2012年3月完成并购。 记者采访中了解到，针对此项收购，有员工担心重组完成以后，企业原有职工利益得不到保障，特别是工龄超过十年的员工要重新签劳务合同，工龄全部归零。员工们要求公司及时公布交易进展以及给出合理的赔偿方案。此外还有员工听到传闻，有一笔补偿金发到了工厂，却没有发到工人手中，因此引发群体罢工。 记者在现场看到工厂墙壁上贴着"强迫年假及厂休，无耻！"、"要改嫁先赔偿"等条幅。罢工现场还有工人表示，工厂和工人的积怨由来已久，工资低廉、克扣工资，企业工人基本工资只有1000多元，企业加班工资按底薪计算，还限制加班时间等方法导致工人不满。还有一名张姓的江西籍工人表示上网查询社保才发现实际数字与公司所发工资条有出入。 海量公司在给记者的书面回复中表示，公司管理层已在第一时间到达现场了解员工诉求，目前在政府部门与上级工会的协调下正在与员工代表协商，并已就此事向总部汇报相关情况，以期尽快对员工诉求做出回应。公司承诺将全力维护员工合法权益，严格按照劳动法律法规政策执行，并承诺公平、公开和透明地向员工沟通并购的进展。 深圳市南山区委宣传部相关负责人表示，事件发生以后，深圳市工总会、深圳市南山区政府、海量公司员工代表，海量公司工会，西部数据公司代表，正在一起协商处理方案，解决员工提出的诉求。目前参加罢工的员工都比较理智，没有过激行为，场面初步得到控制。但是员工复职还需要企业给出明确的解决方案。 截止记者发稿，海量公司厂区已经基本平静，聚集在厂门口的工人都已散去，厂区没有生产迹象。（完）