Workers Protest Against Smelter in Shaoguan, Guangdong

• Date: Dec 3 2008 Time: 21:31
• Description:
  From CLB: Several hundred workers. Dissatisfaction at assignment of recruitment contracting to outside employment agency. Roadblock. After police issue warning and government officials intervene, management scraps outsourcing policy. Source: Guangzhou Daily. From RFA: 韶关冶炼厂数百名工人堵路示威保护劳动合同 广东省韶关市一间冶炼厂数百名工人，不满厂方要求签订新的劳务合约，周一聚集在厂门前的国道抗议，令交通中断近2个半小时。厂方最后愿意撤销改变劳务合约签订方式的决定，平息了此次合约纠纷。 《广州日报》报道，韶关冶炼厂为了面对当前严竣的经营环境，决定改革工人的签约制度。对今年年底到期的267名3年制合同工，新合约的首两年期是与劳务公司签订，期满后再与厂方续签一年，新措施亦适用于明年到期的3年制合同工。 但新措施受到工人大力反对，工人反映两项诉求：其一是对工厂变更劳务合约的原意不理解，因此不愿意与劳务公司签订合约；另外要求解决同工不同酬问题。 事件发生后，厂方派人进行劝解、疏道。韶关市委亦派出相关的主管官员到场调停，抗议工人其后接纳返回工厂与工厂主管对话。韶关市委表示，厂方愿意继续按原来办法与工人签约。 [Note: This enterprise seems to be the one in the Wikipedia article linked below--it comes up the most in searches of smelters in Shaoguan]