Corporations Working Hard to Keep Chinese Slave Labor

[SHRED]

Is this "free market" behavior?
Part of the, "letting the market sort it out" philosophy?
Good lord.



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Corporations Working Hard to Keep Chinese Slave Labor
Jonathan Tasini
10.13.2006

For a long time, I have argued that our problem with China is not really the difference in currency values nor, on its face, the trade deficit. At heart, the real issue is the truly abysmal working conditions faced by millions of Chinese workers--working conditions that are the reason corporations love China and love moving production overseas.
And, now, I see corporations agree. Many of the largest corporations--many of whom contribute significant amounts of money to the Republican and Democratic parties and their candidates--are doing everything possible to keep their slave wage heaven in China. Check it out: this is one of the most important economic issues facing our country.

Since the spring, there has been a debate within China--ignored by the mainstream media in the U.S. and much of the world--about a new labor law in China. I want to say, upfront, that one has to view labor laws in China with a bit of skepticism since we are still talking about laws overseen by an authoritarian regime that carefully calibrates what is permissible or not.

Having said that, as The New York Times reports today, "China is planning to adopt a new law that seeks to crack down on sweatshops and protect workers' rights by giving labor unions real power for the first time since it introduced market forces in the 1980's."

FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-tasini/corporati...

MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/13/business/worldbusines...

http://www.laborstrategies.org/index.php?option=com_con...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/13/business/worldbusines...

[Daphne08]

1. I've lived a long time and have witnessed many things, but

I never dreamed I'd live to see unions on the decline here in the U.S. while on the rise (or even in existence) in China.

Strange days.

[SHRED]

2. Chinese labor "union" like...

...Mexico's "unions" still have no worker's rights to speak of.
"Union" in name only.