Worker Empowerment

Condemnation against continued violence directed at a Shenzhen labour group:A joint statement from Hong Kong & International civil organizations

In the recent weeks, we, a group of Hong Kong groups and unions who cover labour issues in

China have learned of a series of violent attacks on a labour group and its legal person in Shenzhen. We are very upset, concerned and enraged about the recent development.  The Shenzhen Dagongzhe Migrant Worker Centre (DGZ Centre) has been long supported by the general public and

Hong Kong groups. It provides a free library, labour law education and free legal consultation to migrant workers in Shenzhen. In recent months, it has been involved in promoting knowledge around the “Labour Contract Law”, a new law the national government is introducing to help safeguard workers; and it has provided legal advice in order to de-fuse the current growing tension between employers and workers.  On 11 Oct and 14 Nov 2007, a group of unknown and unidentified people came to destroy the properties of DGZ Centre. On 20 Nov, the legal person of the centre, Huang Qingnan was attacked by two people with choppers, on the way to visit a injured worker, just after he left the centre. Huang is seriously injured. In recent months, workers reported they had also been assaulted and verbally threatened by their employers when claiming their wages. Reports to the police have not met with success or interest. They were disappointed that the local government was behaving very indifferently.  The attacks on the centre and Mr. Huang prove that interest groups which are trying to paralyze the implementation of this law, distorting the central governments labour policies and revealing openly their dislike of independent labour organizations. If the DGZ Centre’s case is not properly followed up and no proper investigation is undertaken, it will give a regrettable and worrying message that violent prevails. Civil groups in Shenzhen and also other parts of

China would face more assaults and their development could be limited. Although we are in based

Hong Kong, we care for

China’s development and we work for the education and welfare of Chinese workers. In order to develop a harmonious society, fairness and justice must be safeguarded. Therefore, the case of DGZ centre must be resolved and the safety of civil groups in

China must be guaranteed.  We demand that the Central government & the Shenzhen city government: l             Openly condemns & investigates all violent incidents, and in particular the attack on Huang Qingnan; 

l             Helps DGZ Centre to re-start its works and provides Huang Qingnan with appropriate medical treatment and rehabilitation;

 l             Implements the national policy to maintain a harmonious labour relations, improves the protection of civil groups and their staff in order to prevent violent acts and maintain public security.

Initiated by: Worker Empowerment; Globalisation Monitor; Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM); Labour Action

China;

Asia Monitor Resources CentreSupported and cosigned by:

1.           ITUC/GUF/HKCTU/HKTUC Hong Kong Liaison Office

2.           Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions

3.           Cleaning Workers Union

4.           Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association

5.       The Chinese University Of Hong Kong Employees General Union

6.           Catering And Hotels Industries Employees General Union

7.           Clothing Industry, Clerical and Retail Trade Employees General Union

8.           Hong Kong Catholic Institution Staff Association

9.           Rights Workers Trade Union Hong Kong

10.       Cleaning Service Industry Workers Union

11.       Union Of Hong Kong Dockers

12.       Hong Kong Dumper Truck Drivers Association

13.       Concrete Industry Workers Union

14.       The Federation Of Hong Kong Transport Worker Organizations

15.       Ocean Park Employees Union

16.       Construction Site Workers General Union

17.       Hong Kong Domestic Workers General Union

18.       Community Care and Nursing Home Workers General Union

19.       Hong Kong School Clerks & Janitors General Union

20.       Government Mod 1 Staff General Union

21.       Industrial Relationships Institutes

22.       Catholic Diocese of HK Diocesan Pastoral Centre for the Worker (Chai Wan)

23.       Grassroots Development Centre

24.       Elderly Right Development Society

25.       Student Christian Movement of Hong Kong

26.       Tiananmen Mothers Campaign

27.       Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese

28.       People Demo

29.       Local Action

30.       Ziteng

31.       Community Cultural Concern

32.       Neighbourhood & Worker’s Service Centre  International groups/individuals：1.           International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC (International)2.           War On Wants (International)

3.           Committee of Asian Women, CAW (International)

4.           The Transnational Information Exchange, TIE Asia (International)

5.           Clean Clothes Campaign, CCC (International)

6.           Karat Coalition (Europe)

 7.           New Trade Union Initiative, NTUI (India)

8.           Jobs with Justice (India)

9.           Thai Centre of Labour Solidarity, TCLS (Thailand)

10.       Rick Kuhn-Reader in Political Science, Australian National University Workplace delegate, National Tertiary Education Union (Australia)

11.       Clean Clothes Campaign Denmark (Denmark)

12.       Christliche Initiative Romero (Germany)

13.       Rena Kläder (Sweden)

14.       Clean Clothes Campaign Sweden (Sweden)

15.       Labour Behind the Label (United Kingdom)

16.       The National Association of Human Resources Specialists, AUR (Romenia)

17.       Clean Clothes Campaign France (France)

18.       Peuples Solidaires (France)

19.       Workers Initiative Poland  (Poland)

20.       United Students Against Sweatshops, USAS (USA)

21.       Sweat Free Communities (USA)

22.       Maquila Solidarity Network, Toronto, (Canada)

23.       Lesotho Clothing and Allied Workers Union , LECAWU (Lesotho)

24.       Labour Research Service (South Africa)

25.       Commission Travail de l’ATFD (Tunesia)

26.       Organización de Mujeres Salvadoreñas, ORMUSA (El Salvador)

27.       CONCERTACIÓN POR UN EMPLEO DIGNO EN LA MAQUILA ,CEDM  (El Salvador)

28.       Honduran Independent Monitoring Team, EMIH (Honduras)

29.       The Maria Elana Cuadra Movement of Working and Unemployed Women, MEC (Nicaragua)

30.       Jonathan Unger

31.       Ron Avila

32.       Ralph Gayton

33.       Andrew Stevens

34.       David Paul Xavier Burch

35.       Allison Chan36.       Diana Covell

37.       Sebastian Cobarrubias

38.       Robert Periano

39.       Kevin J. O’Rourke

40.       rosie wagstaff

41.       Sten-Olof Svensson

42.       Gisela Neunhoeffer

43.       Joost Vandeputte

44.       Mit freundlichen Grüßen

45.       David Hutchison

46.      Agnes Ku