10-03-2014, 09:33 AM
Labour movement is a double edged sword, and strike is always a lose-lose proposition, which should always be the last option.
Strikes in China may lead to heavy costs for MNCs
SHANGHAI — A wildcat strike at an IBM factory in southern China illustrates how tectonic shifts under way in the country’s labour market are emboldening workers to take matters into their own hands, raising risks for multinational companies.
More than 1,000 workers walked off the job last week at the factory in Shenzhen, after managers announced on March 3 the terms of their transfer to new ownership under Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group.
Lenovo agreed in January to pay US$2.3 billion (S$2.9 billion) for International Business Machine’s low-end server business.
The workers want higher pay if they switch to working for Lenovo or higher severance packages if they choose to leave.
The strike, still ongoing as of yesterday, fits a growing pattern of industrial activism that has emerged as China’s economy slows. A worsening labour shortage has shifted the balance of power in labour relations, while smartphones and social media have helped workers organise and made them more aware of the changing environment, say experts.
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http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/st...costs-mncs
Strikes in China may lead to heavy costs for MNCs
SHANGHAI — A wildcat strike at an IBM factory in southern China illustrates how tectonic shifts under way in the country’s labour market are emboldening workers to take matters into their own hands, raising risks for multinational companies.
More than 1,000 workers walked off the job last week at the factory in Shenzhen, after managers announced on March 3 the terms of their transfer to new ownership under Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group.
Lenovo agreed in January to pay US$2.3 billion (S$2.9 billion) for International Business Machine’s low-end server business.
The workers want higher pay if they switch to working for Lenovo or higher severance packages if they choose to leave.
The strike, still ongoing as of yesterday, fits a growing pattern of industrial activism that has emerged as China’s economy slows. A worsening labour shortage has shifted the balance of power in labour relations, while smartphones and social media have helped workers organise and made them more aware of the changing environment, say experts.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/st...costs-mncs