Workers strike at another auto parts plant in China
Workers at a Southern China plant owned by Japanese electronics producer Omron have gone on strike, demanding better working conditions and a pay raise. A company spokesman said that between 200-300 of the 800 workers at the plant were striking, but workers say that the number is more like 400-500 workers. The strike is the latest in a string at foreign owned companies in China. The strikes, and the lack of interference from the Chinese government are leading some to question the future of manufacturing in China, as companies look elsewhere for lower cost labor. Some experts point to the lack of air-conditioning and ventilation in plants during the summer as one of the reasons there has been an uptake in strikes in Southern China. Workers last week struck at a Honda supplier, and workers say that management has agreed to their demand for a pay raise.
See "Workers strike at another auto parts plant in China", Don Durfee and Doug Young, Reuters, July 20, 2010