A Political Economic Analysis of the Strike in Honda and the auto parts industry in China

Abstract The strike that broke out in Honda Auto Parts Manufacturing Co Ltd in Foshan city of Guangdong province on 17 May dragged on for nearly one and a half month ending in early July. The strike involved nearly the whole work force on the shopfloor who are mainly migrant workers. By laying down their tools for 4 days, the workers in CHAM brought the production of 4 Honda assembly subsidiaries to a halt causing the company to lose 220 million Yuan by estimates. And for the first time in the industrial actions taken by the migrant workers, the strike articulated clearly the demands for reforming the only legal trade union, the All China Federation of Trade Unions. A paradigm shift in the Chinese labour struggle is expected and it is likely to be one that is led by the domestic migrant workers for economic justice and associational rights. The IHLO examines the causes as well as the implications of the strike in CHAM and finds a number of issues that should draw the interests of the international trade union and labour movement in their analyses and strategizing for organizing the auto industry and supporting the Chinese labour struggles.
Author ITUC/GUF Hong Kong Liaison Office (IHLO), July 2010
Publisher
Link http://www.ihlo.org/LRC/W/000710.pdf
Attachment
8 Energy Intensive Industries, 8.5.4 Automobile