Foxconn recently
announced workers would be able to vote for union representatives in its factories.
The first election, scheduled for this July, is to be held in
Foxconn’s Shenzhen complex (1,4). As reported by John Chan in a Feb 13th
2013 article, this is
somewhat strange news as Foxconn claims it has already been holding union elections since the creation of the Foxconn Federation
of Labour Unions in 2008. Chan argues this Federation of Labor was created in
order to extend the policing role of the CCP’s state-controlled unions into the
private sector (3,4).
The only substantial change to Foxconn’s 2008 policy reflected
in the new announcement seems to be the inclusion of four “junior workers” from
each of the 12 manufacturing sections in the Shenzhen complex (1,3,4). Though
additional representation may help ease worker/manager relations it does not, given
the small numbers of new representatives, do much to ensure collective bargaining rights for
workers, nor does it give them any new meaningful leverage in their growing
struggle for fair compensation and equal rights.
Independent
unions are in fact still illegal in China, as are worker strikes, and the
official All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) (see footnote) is known to frequently and
publicly back employers and the CCP regime against the very workers they’re
meant to protect. It also boasts ultimate control over all enterprise unions
throughout the country including Foxconn’s union (3). In Foxconn, as in other
enterprises, senior company managers, often CCP branch secretaries, run the
unions rather than workers (4). This
fact explains why many observers believe any new union representation in
Foxconn plants is either A. largely symbolic and/or B. intended as more of a
pressure-release valve for growing tensions between labor and management.
Not only does
Foxconn’s recent move not impart any real increase in power or ability to
organize for workers outside of its current system, but so far there have also
been no additional protections being offered elected representatives (2). China
has many laws that provide legal protection for workers, but most of them are
selectively enforced, leaving worker representatives vulnerable to retaliation
by management and party leaders. Cases have been reported where organizers were
not only fired from their company positions but also detained by local police
for weeks on end.
Foxconn’s latest efforts are seen by many observers as an
attempt to stem worker unrest and avoid further negative news coverage. It may
also be an attempt to preserve the CCP party’s power by averting protests,
strikes or otherwise politically motivated upheavals by workers in China
(1,3,4). It goes without saying that there is a lot of labor unrest and
political demonstrations at this time in China (4).
2. http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/110178%20http://www.clb.org.hk/en/view-resource-centre-content/100618
Footnote:
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) was
originally founded in 1925, after which it was repealed twice (once by the Chinese
Nationalist government and once by Mao Zedong and the Cultural Movement) before
being reinstituted once again in 1976. Under the new law independent unions
were made illegal, effectively giving the ACFTU a government-controlled/sanctioned
monopoly on unions in China – one that doesn’t allow freedom of association,
collective bargaining or strikes to occur (4,6). In 2008 Chinese policy changed
requiring Chinese, but also foreign owned companies to create their own SCFTU chapters.
Though there was some resistance, most notably by Wal-Mart, most companies have
chosen to join. This makes sense given the ACFTU provides no real security to
workers and cooperation is incentivized with government tax cuts. The addition
of these companies has driven membership rates higher and further solidified
the SCFTU’s role as a “yellow” union by consistently acting to defend economic
growth and the protection of its own political organ over workers rights.
Companies that continue to resist are blacklisted and subjected to audits, tax
examinations and accusations of labor violations (4,5,6).
