| Abstract |
This chapter addresses the bleak working conditions in China’s coal mining industry. The paper examines the importance of coal as China’s primary energy source, critically assesses the plausibility of the country’s statistics on coal mining safety and identifies special features of Chinese coal mining. Subsequently, the paper discusses the miners’ social dependence, the government’s failure to reform, the importance of accurate information and the conflict between economic development and social well-being. The paper argues that the coal mining industry places little value on the life of a miner. |
