Sanda Kan Industrial Ltd is a company owned by the Hong Kong based Kadar Group. In Sanda Kan, there are over one thousand employees and it produces train models for famous international toy brands, including Tomy and Microace in Japan, Hornby in Germany and Bii in the US.
Starting from late February this year, one thousand workers in Sanda Kan initiated a strike. The strike has lasted for over 50 days. The origin of the strike is that the management without negotiating with workers, decided to move the factory from Wanjiang District to Zhongtang town (over 10 Kilometres away). Workers were dissatisfied with the unilateral decision and urged bilateral negotiations. They also think Sanda Kan should pay economic compensation and wages in lieu of notice.
On the 6th of March, hundreds of workers took to the streets and stopped the company from moving its facilities and urge the company to perform their legal responsibilities. After negotiations, Sanda Kan agreed to pay each worker 1000 CNY. But workers requested higher compensation according to Labour Contract Act and continued their struggle. In late March, the president of Dongguan Federation of Trade Unions Guo Shui claimed that the incident had been settled and Sanda Kan also issued a notice concerning the arrangement of the relocation. Nevertheless, workers’ demands had not been properly met and they went on a march again. Workers said, worker representatives had been threatened by the police in the past, and therefore to protect their representatives, they refused to send them to negotiate.
On 10th of April, Sanda Kan relocated the equipment from the factory. At the same time, over one thousand policemen entered the factory and forced the workers to sign resignation letters. Based on information from the workers, the authorities have arrested over 100 workers and detained several worker leaders.
Since the opening of market in China in the 1980s, the rapid economic development of the country has relied on workers’ sweat and blood. They have been exploited for many years and their basic human and labour rights are violated every day. Decades of exploitation has led to workers coming out and fighting for their rights, as the government and trade unions are not providing the support they need. Instead, they collude with the employers and use force and authority to arrest and suppress workers.
We are groups of organisations concerned about labour rights. We strongly support the workers’ strike in Sanda Kan, Dongguan, and stand in solidarity with the workers. We oppose the authorities using force to suppress workers. We urge the Kadar Group, Sanda Kan Company, Dongguan government and trade unions to protect the rights of the workers, in particular, the right of association, right to strike and right of collective bargaining. They should respond to the workers’ demands, release the arrested workers and negotiate with the workers in good faith.
10th April, 2014
Initiated by Asian Transnational Corporations (ATNC) Monitoring Network 亞洲跨國企業監察網絡
List of signatories:
Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC) 亞洲專訊資料研究中心 |
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union (HKCTU) |
Labour Action China (LAC) 中國勞動透視 |
Globalization Monitor (GM) 全球化監察 |
Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) 大學師生監察無良企業行動 |
Worker Empowerment (WE) 勞動力 |
Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Philippines (CTUHR) |
Centre for Workers Education, India (CWE) |
Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, Philippines (EILER) |
Federation of Independent Trade Union, Indoesnia (GSBI) |
Korea House for International Solidarity (KHIS) |
Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan (LEF) |
National Garment Worerks Federation, Bangladesh (NGWF) |
Policy Research for Development Alternative & Trade Union Education centre, Bangladesh (UBINIG & Sramabikash Kendra ) |
Sedane Labour Resource Center, Indonesia (LIPS) |
SENTRO, Philippines |
Yokohama Action Research, Japan (YAR) |
Committee for Asian Women, Thailand (CAW) |
Interfaith Cooperation Forum, Hong Kong (ICF) |
Textile and Garment Workers' Federation, Bangladesh (TGWF) |
Retail, Commerce and Clothing Industries General Union (R.C.C.I.G.U.) 零售、商業及成衣業總工會 |
National Hazard Campaign, UK |
LEADER, Philippines |
Occupationan and Environmental Health Networ of India (OEHNI) |
Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV) |
Scottish Hazards Campaign |
European Work Hazards Network |
聲援東莞山打根罷工 抗議鎮壓維權
山打根實業(東莞)有限公司,為港資開達集團旗下公司,擁有千多名員工,主要為日本、德國、美國等著名玩具品牌生產火車模型,包括Tomy、Hornby、Microace、Bii等。
上千名山打根員工自今年二月下旬起開始罷工,現已罷工超過五十天,起因是廠方未有提前與工人協商下,就決定搬遷工廠,從萬江區至中堂鎮(相距超過10公里)。工人不滿廠方單方面的決定,要求就搬遷雙方協商,亦認為公司應支付經濟補償金和代通知金。
於3月6日,數以百計的工人上街抗議,阻止公司搬運設備,要求公司履行法律責任。經過談判後,公司同意支付每個員工1000元人民幣。工人要求依勞動合同法得到更高的補償,繼續抗爭至今。3月底,東莞市總工會主席郭水表示這起事已經平息,山打根公司亦發出搬遷安排的新通告,然而,工人的訴求並沒有得到妥善的回應,觸發工人再次上街抗議。工人亦表示,工人代表曾受警方威脅,為了保護他們,因而拒絕再派出代表參與談判。4月10日,山打根公司搬走公司物資,同時,警方出動數千計的人員,進入工廠,逼使工人簽署離職同意書,據悉,已有超過一百名工人被捉,多名工人領袖被關押。
改革開放以來,經濟發展依賴工人的貢獻和血汗,他們多年來受盡剝削,勞動權利毫無保障,當他們忍無可忍,挺身而出,挑戰資本時,政府和工會並沒有提供協助,更會站在工人的對立面上,以武力、公權力拘捕及打壓工人,令人遺憾和髮指。
我們是一群關注勞工權利的團體,聲援東莞山打根工人罷工,反對武力鎮壓工人維權。我們要求香港開達集團、山打根公司、東莞政府以及工會,保障勞動工權(結社權、罷工權及集體談判權),回應工人訴求,釋放被捕工人,並與工人進行平等談判。
2014年4月10日
There will be a protest action at 11am at the Kadar Building in Hong Kong on the 14th April. It is organised by several Hong Kong labour groups. We welcome you all to join the action. Address: Protest venue: 11/F., Kader Bldg., 22 Kai Cheung Rd., Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
於4月14日早上11時,在香港開達大廈將會有由一些香港勞工團體組織的抗議,我們歡迎所有朋友參與。地址為九龍灣啟祥道22號開達大廈11字樓。