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Gezhouba [Dam] Group Employees Strike in Yichang, Hubei

12:30 Feb 20 2012 Yichang Hubei China

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From Xinhua via China.org.cn:

Retired workers with a central China water project contractor on Sunday ended a 6-day protest over pay dispute, as the company has seemingly reached an agreement with the protestors.

Former employees of the Gezhouba Group, a major contractor for the Three Gorges Project, blocked traffic in the city of Yichang, Hubei province, on Monday, demanding hikes in their pension payments. Traffic resumed on Saturday.

A local police officer surnamed Hu said no protestors showed up on Sunday.

The retirees complained that their pension payments had not been calculated fairly. Sources with the company said employees who retired before 2006 receive a monthly payment of around 1,500 yuan (238 U.S. dollars), while those who retired after 2006 enjoy a monthly payment of over 3,000 yuan.

The protestors, mostly aged between 60 and 70, have also complained about unreasonable terms in the company's medical care policy and excessive water and electricity fees charged by the company.

According to Ding Yanzhang, general manager of Gezhouba Group, after investigations, meetings and negotiations with the protestors, the company promised that pension subsidies will be given to the workers before the end of June, and it has also agreed to provide preferential measures regarding medical care and subsidies on water and electricity fees.

Headquartered in Yichang, the Gezhouba Group was the sole contractor of the Gezhouba Project, which built the first dam on the Yangtze River.

From the Gezhou Group website:

China Gezhouba Group Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "CGGC") affiliated to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council was founded in 1970 when all the elites in hydroelectric field came all over the nation to build the Gezhouba Hydroelectric Project. Thirty years' development has seen it grow into a colossal SOE. Its business scope includes infrastructure construction, investment, hydroelectrical works and highways as well as real estate.

CGGC and its branches have proved contracting capability in hydroelectric works and other thirty fields. It is the main contractor of the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Project (hereinafter referred to as "TGP").

From Baidu:

21日上午,湖北宜昌市中国葛洲坝集团公司数千退休职工,上街聚集,要求增加退休金、要求葛洲坝董事长杨继学下台等。(网路图片) 【2012年02月22日讯】(唐铭报导)21日上午,湖北宜昌市中国葛洲坝集团公司数千退休职工,上街聚集,要求增加退休金、要求葛洲坝董事长杨继学下台等。期间有领导来现场作疏散工作,被退休职工打跑,有警察和保安被人群围攻,也有老年人在现场昏倒,附近有大量特警待命。这是继昨天聚集堵街后,而持续发生的事件。

退休职工连续两天聚集抗议

葛洲坝集团退休职工数千人,于2月20日上午约8时,在湖北宜昌市区主干道东山大道330转盘聚集,要求增加退休职工工资、要求葛洲坝董事长杨继学下台,并拉有横幅:“强烈要求杨继学向全工区人民交待清楚”。聚集迫使交通中断,大量交警和公安来到现场,老年人维权抗议到晚上六点才散去。

21日上午,湖北宜昌市中国葛洲坝集团公司数千退休职工,上街聚,要求增加退休金、要求葛洲坝董事长杨继学下台等。(网路图片)
21日上午,湖北宜昌市中国葛洲坝集团公司数千退休职工,上街聚集抗议示威,要求增加退休金、要求葛洲坝董事长杨继学下台等。(网路图片)

21日上午,退休职工继续堵路口抗议,许多老人把孙子送去上学后,陆续抵达330转盘现场,使交通再次陷入瘫痪,同时出现大量警察。

现场一位知情人何先生对记者透露,当局通过现场喊话的方式也无法驱散人群,又通过当地电视台发出威胁性通告,说是非法堵塞交通。据说,在离葛洲坝集团总部不远的宜昌市公安局平湖分局门前,还备有大量特警待命。

葛洲坝集团公司方面派人在示威人群中散发《致中国葛洲坝集团公司退休老同志的一封信》,声称集团高度重视退休人员养老金统筹外补贴问题,由于退休人员结构复杂,人数众多,牵涉政策面广,该项政策出台需要一定时间,集团公司确保该项政策2012年内正式实施,并从1月份开始执行。

何先生表示,一些退休部门领导也来人群中作疏散工作,人群中发生小规模冲突,他听说,葛洲坝工程局领导陈邦峰在示威现场被退休职工打跑了,有警察和保安被人群围攻,也有老年人在现场昏倒。

葛洲坝在职职工表示,看见他们的父辈为退休金维权抗议,他们对此表示支持,同时也非常担心这些老人,有许多市民在交通中断后比较烦恼,孩子读书和一些上班的市民需要绕过这一大段路,造成了非常大的麻烦。昨天下午,他们在葛洲坝上班的职工,都被要求回家做父辈的工作,不准父母再聚集和上访,否则,将可能被下岗。

From s1979.com:

新华08网宜昌2月22日电(记者刘紫凌 冯国栋)针对湖北宜昌20-22日发生的群众聚集反映葛洲坝集团退休职工待遇问题事件,葛洲坝集团承诺解决退休人员养老金统筹外补贴问题,相关政策2012年内正式实施,并从1月份开始执行。

湖北宜昌三天来有群众聚集反映葛洲坝集团退休职工养老金等待遇不平等问题,聚集群众年龄段集中在60-70岁左右。

记者22日在现场看到,聚集群众将宜昌市区东山大道一处十字路口四个方向的道路全部堵住,交警对周围路段实施交通管制。现场的宜昌市公安局平湖分局陈姓民警说,22日的聚集规模与前两日基本持平,聚集群众多为葛洲坝集团退休老职工,也有一些家属和围观者。

据了解,聚集群众主要有三个方面的诉求:一是要求解决退休工资不平衡问题,二是反映退休职工医疗困难问题,三是要解决水、天然气、电话等费用偏高问题。

事件发生后,葛洲坝集团总经理丁焰章21日下午紧急召开会议,研究紧急应对办法和长远措施。目前葛洲坝集团下属相关单位离退休管理办公室已发放数万份退休人员情况登记表,对情况进行摸底调查。将根据实际情况,严格依据政策,尽快妥善解决问题。集团相关领导干部进家入户做解释工作,并印制《致退休老同志一封信》在现场散发。信中表示:葛洲坝集团承诺解决退休人员养老金统筹外补贴问题,相关政策2012年内正式实施,并从1月份开始执行。
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