BCFL/VDLC 2014 Trip to China

March 21

Introduction

Where are we going?What to expect

We’ll visit Beijing Shanghai Shandong Province

China is a big country

Vancouver & District Labour Council

Visited Beijing in 2006 At the same time as the Walmart

organizing

Beijing MFTU Visited Vancouver in 2007

We gave them a warm welcome, gave them presentations and training

And we took them to a picket line

Shandong Province

Shandong Province Coastal province, like BC 95 million people

Shandong PFTU visited BC, 2009

Shandong Provincial Economy

Qingdao beer (Tsingtao beer)

Ports Tourism Mining & petroleum Manufacturing Agriculture, including

wineries

Shandong Province Heavy Truck Plant; SOE

Why the Shandong PFTU?

They are keen to develop an ongoing relationship

Much to learn and much to exchange

History and culture (home of Confucius)

They’ve come to Canada twice and want the

exchanges

One example One city, Yantai, a port on the east

coast of Shandong Province General Motors plant is a joint venture

with Shanghai Auto Doushan is a factory complex owned

by Koreans (used to be Daewoo)

Very frank and open about union issues

Yantai General Motors union plant chairperson chosen by company

Korean-owned plant union leadership chosen

by workers

Who will we meet? Trade union officials and workplace

union people Different as night and day There may be one All-China

Federation of Trade Unions in China, but unions and union reps are very different

Why should we go? Why are friendly relations important? Mutual exchange has an impact. Did you know, for example, union recognition

at a workplace is far easier in China than in Canada, and unions are far better financed there than even the Rand formula here provides.

Unions in China are changing rapidly and in part it is due to contact with unions elsewhere.

Beijing MFTU BEIJING, Sept. 1, 2010 (Xinhuanet) -- Amid rising concerns over trade unions'

role in better protecting workers' rights and interests, the Beijing municipal trade union's move to liberate grassroots trade union chairs from their economic dependence on employers marks an important step forward.

The capital's trade union will establish a special fund to pay grassroots [workplace] trade union leaders. That will hopefully make grassroots trade unions more independent in their negotiations with employers, when workers' rights and interests are violated.

Before the 1980s, State-owned enterprises offered welfare packages to take care of almost everything in workers' daily lives. Trade unions then were actually the ones providing welfare services. Now, different forms of private businesses have become an important part of the country's economy. Employers can ignore or even violate the rights and interests of workers when their major concern is to pursue maximum profits. There are instances of employers firing trade union leaders who pressured them over workers' rights and interests. Trade union leaders can even side with employers instead.

As such, the Beijing union is working for the direct election of union leaders or have such leaders sent by higher-level unions. This will help ensure that they will be paid not by employers, but by unions. The leaders will then have less to fear of in helping the workers. Despite all possible resistance, this plan is to be put into practice.

Harvard’s Elaine BernardKent Wong, UCLA:

“China has undergone tremendous change in the past few decades…In this context of change, would not more worker-to-worker and union-to-union exchange be positive? Through more dialogue with Chinese workers and unions, the …labour movement could promote mutually beneficial labour solidarity, move beyond the cold war and unilateralism, and refocus attention on the domestic and global corporations and associated institutions that are, in fact, the main threat to workers throughout the world.”

What workplaces will we visit?

We’ve asked for visits to schools, colleges, hospitals, factories, airports and sea ports

Anything else?

In meetings Ask questions Be polite Remember, it’s tiring for interpreters Take notes (can compile a summary

for use in our reports to BCFL, VDLC and individual unions)

Perhaps we could do a conference on China or a series of presentations upon our return

Light luggage We will be on and off planes, trains,

buses and vans so please pack lightly Optional: camera, charger, small

computer, ethernet cord, plug in converter, 110 volt

If you bring a cell, remember to turn off the internet function because of roaming charges

To give away To give away, business cards, union

pins, pens and small presents Can get Canada pins and BC pins

from MPs/MLAs

It will be hot and humid Room temperature is no less than 26 degrees Outside temperatures will be 30 and more Wear a hat or carry an umbrella outside when

sightseeing Wear cool clothing such as short sleeved shirts Wear sandals but shoes must be comfortable

for walking You will need jacket and tie for formal banquets

but rest of time dress casually (not shorts)

What about the water? Drink lots of water but

don’t drink the water Don’t drink the water out

of the tap But drink lots of bottled

water Speaking of drinks,

watch out for mao tai – sorghum liquor – white lightening

What about the food? It will be great at banquets At banquets, pace yourself Does anyone have any dietary issues? Coffee is relatively rare

Shandong 2009

When you can, sleep On the plane, on the bus, on the train It’s about 11-12 hours to fly from

Vancouver to Beijing or Shanghai The time change is difficult When it’s 8 am in Beijing, it’s 5 pm in

Vancouver, the previous day

What to buy in China? Best to delay most souvenir shopping

till Shanghai because you will have to carry it

What about translation? They will have generally good translation

which will be accurate as possible We will have Xinying Hu who teaches in the

Labour Studies Programme at SFU Please remember to speak slowly, use short

sentences and pause Sometimes things get lost in translation, e.g.

what does ‘labour protection’ mean to you?

Xinying Hu teaches in SFU Labour Studies

We will all sometimes be Tired Hot Overwhelmed Irritable But if so, please complain to me, not to

our hosts 2009 trip to Shandong

What if I forget My toothbrush, socks, tie, etc. You can buy anything you need in

China But please remember that each minor

shopping trip causes delay

Important to be prompt Every time you forget something and

run back upstairs to your hotel room, it delays things

Chinese are prompt

What about sightseeing? We hope to see the Great Wall and the

Imperial Palace, perhaps the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace

Other sights in Shandong Province and Shanghai

Chinese Language, some hints

Most pronunciation is like English but for the following approximations:

ZH and J are pronounced like “j” in jungle CH and Q are pronounced like “ch” in chew X is pronounced like “sh” in show G is hard, like grow C is like ‘ts’ in cats Z is like ‘ds’ in kids Ai is like Shanghai U is like moon Ou and o are like Joe I is like seek Ei is like wait Thus Beijing is pronounced Bay Jing

Saying hello “Ni hao” is Nee how. It is singular. Plural is “Nimen hao” which is Neemen

how

What to read about unions in China?

If you have a chance, read this book: Tim Pringle: Trade Unions in China:

The Challenge of Labour Unrest Book review: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/

cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3135&context=ilrreview

Questions and comments?

Please feel free to send me an email: cathywalker856@gmail.com

Thanks very much!