Labor unions of two banks to strike for benefits (China)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: China Post



Labor unions of two banks to strike for benefits

2007/5/27
The China Post staff

The labor unions of both Enterprise Bank of Hualien and Taitung Business Bank in eastern Taiwan yesterday resolved to authorize their boards of directors to stage strikes in a bid to force the management to improve employee benefits.

The labor union of Enterprise Bank of Hualien held a provisional meeting of union members to discuss the strike yesterday afternoon. Of a total of 319 union members, 197 were present at the meeting and a vast majority, at 187, of them agreed to a strike and authorized the union's board of directors to determine the date and relevant details for the strike.

You Jung-sheng, chairman of the labor union of the Hualien Bank, said that since the Central Deposit Insurance Corp. took over the operations of the bank late last year, the labor union has conducted many rounds of negotiations with a takeover task force of the CDIC, yet no consensuses have been reached.

Further, the labor union has also tried unsuccessfully to request that the Department of Social Affairs under the Hualien County Government help settle the management-labor disputes of the bank, You said, adding that his labor union has no other choice but to call an interim meeting of its members to discuss whether to stage a strike to press the CDIC to respond positively to their requests.

Read more: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/110686.htm

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Is this perhaps one of the first steps to cheap labor dying? The baby dragon is teething. US labor is over there giving pointers. Now if the US and others push for worker's rights....

[jody]

1. How do union activities in Taiwan affect China or do I misunderstand your statement "baby dragon"?nt

[Omaha Steve]

3. Bad choice of words

How do I get out of this gracefully? Taiwan's labor movement is established. It (and Korea's) has already had an influence on the young (red dragon) China's labor movement. Although labor in China is in it's infancy at this time, events in and outside it's borders can have a positive effect. I'm hoping the next US administration will push the buttons for worker rights or start sanctioning trade etc...

[jody]

4. No sweat! Didn't China's labor unions force Walmart to accept unions? n/t

[Omaha Steve]

5. Wal-mart and McDonald's

Those two got the headlines. Unions in China are much different than the free world's. But a single event can change the world.

[DemDem07]

7. That is a state run union in China.

Not worth the paper the votes are tallied on.

Real union activists are killed or jailed everyday in China

[Omaha Steve]

8. Union leader deaths happen around the world, nothing new about that

Union activists are jailed and killed around the world. Nothing new there.


Below are a few union stories about China from the last few weeks.

China One big union: Joe Hill goes global: http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2007/05/23/andy_stern/index.html

U.S. labor OKs pact in China: http://washingtontimes.com/business/20070522-094146-7567r.htm

Workers in U.S. and China: Promoting Global Prosperity through Global Solidarity: http://www.changetowin.org/for-the-media/press-releases-and-statements/workers-in-us-and-china-promoting-global-prosperity-through-global-solidarity.html

American union leaders woo China's labor federation : http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17264239.htm

American union group looks to join forces with Chinese union: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSSP17292320070522

US workers to gain from improved China labor conditions - US union group: http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/05/22/afx3745545.html

Top Beijing political adviser meets U.S. trade union leaders: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-05/22/content_6135312.htm

[ohio2007]

9. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the union bosses are also members

of the Communist party.

So, when union members pay union dues, those paid dues go to support the union bosse. That is, the government gets a cut of labor pay.

[Shakespeare]

10. That's changing.

Don't believe me? Go ask Andy Stern, head of SEIU. He just returned from a trip to China where he met with labor leaders there. Stern recognizes that we have to think of unions in global, and not national, terms. And he knows one of the key places we have to start.

[ohio2007]

2. Thats one small step for man in China

Soon the military buildup will become necessary if such 'radical union talk' persists
/sarc

[Nikki Stone1]

6. Maybe they'll just feed the unions wheat gluten and the strike will be over in days

...