BaGongWatch

China labor politics. Main account @inthenewera

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…also title unfortunately says delivery driver 小哥 “little brothers”, though the key interviewee here is a woman delivery driver

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Hundreds of delivery drivers are living on the streets of Shanghai, some forced to brave torrential rain and strong winds in cardboard boxes, Caixin reports

仍有不少外卖小哥露宿上海街头 https://t.co/Y3ILKuvYnQ

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This article claims tech crackdown layoffs “could rival when millions of migrant workers lost jobs in the 2008 global financial crisis”, without any real evidence. A bit shrill, if you ask me. Bad for workers, but no where near the catastrophe of 2008-09
https://t.co/oVSeCovmSb

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Chinese sleep 1.5 hours less per night, compared to 10 years ago, government think tank study shows. Chinese citizens sleep just 7.06 hours on average.

Is it a coincidence that working hours are also longer than ever?
https://t.co/Q8r2SKqHyD

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The government has responded with some typical, likely useless, campaign-style enforcement drives, like this order from the Beijing government this week to check whether at big tech firms and other big companies are following vacation & working hour laws
https://t.co/GxBpQJS9bs

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HR at a tech company in Shanghai told a worker to “go die” after she complained of excessive overtime, according to some viral Weibo reports

https://t.co/vs1K2FjQWc

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The term they used was 猝死, or “sudden death”, which has been a hot topic lately since the spate of sudden deaths at tech companies tied to overwork. CLB had an article on that recently:
https://t.co/Se5DRYNB2k

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The specific term they used was 猝死, or “sudden death”, which has been a hot topic lately since the spate of sudden deaths at tech companies tied to overwork. CLB had an article on that recently:
https://t.co/Se5DRYNB2k

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The conversation went something like this:
HR questioned worker’s request for time off.
Worker said she was feeling ill, told HR “if I work overtime again, I’ll die”
HR replies “Die first then we’ll talk”

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Workers say wages today are not even as good as 2012, and that Cannon has been cutting workers steadily over the years. Employees want 2.8 times their monthly pay for each year they've worked there, but no compensation can make up for job loss, they say
https://t.co/62aYU5x0Ow

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Cannon’s plant in Zhuhai, with around 1300 workers, is closing shop. The company is currently in negotiations with workers 👀

https://t.co/Hg5LEBwYVv

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Sina Finance got a hold of some workers. "Cannon workers are now like laid-off SOE workers. For the young it will be easy to find jobs. But those of who have been here for 10 - 30 years, it's hard to say."
https://t.co/62aYU5x0Ow

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Worker said the layoffs weren't a surprise. Cannon has been planning to leave Zhuhai for five years. Cannon produces its high-end products in Japan, and low end in China, and is unwilling to bring the high end stuff China, they say.
https://t.co/62aYU5x0Ow

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Be on the look out for delivery driver strikes and protests around #SinglesDay
Here, one netizen shares news of a driver strike in Shanghai, and asks logistics firm YTO to resolve its conflicts with workers so packages can get delivered

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Hot on Chinese social media site Weibo right now:
1. Praise for the Chinese airforce
2. Singles day spending figures
3. Should I quit my job

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@nichtich1984 Thanks - I was really hoping that was the case after seeing several people say it was seriously due to foreign meddling...

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Bus driver's went on strike on Monday in Pingdingshan, Henan over months of back pay. Strike appears to be ongoing. Covered in domestic media, and has sparked rather interesting discussion among internet users

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Similarly, one Weibo poster says "China is the world's 2nd largest economy, how can it have back pay? It's must be imperialist countries meddling behind it all."

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Some people blame "foreign forces" for the strike. Others tell them that's obviously stupid

A says: bewitched by foreign forces
B replies: Grow a little🧠

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"The last thing China lacks is money," says a netizen, one of many who are shocked at a local gov that can't pay its essential workers.

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Online reports, cited by news, claim company is heavily indebted. Reports blame pandemic, costs have increased while revenues have plunged, and bus fares have decreased