China’s Weibos and News Sites Censor Information About Shoe Factory Strike in Dongguan

On April 15, 2014, the state sponsored Global Times reported:

Thousands of workers in South China's largest shoe company marched in protest in the city of Dongguan, Guangdong Province over contract and social security benefit issues.
. . . .
The workers were unhappy the company did not pay social security or housing fund contributions based on their real salaries but the minimum amount instead, explained Zhang Zhirui, a legal consultant at a non-governmental labor dispute service in Shenzhen.

The company said it planned to raise the social security contribution in May as requested by workers, but many workers felt dissatisfied when their salaries dropped after deductions.

On April 16, the state sponsored Shanghai Daily reported:

Factory authorities have promised workers they will make the welfare payments some time before the end of 2015, a female employee told AFP, declining to be named due to fear of arrest.

But workers were not satisfied with the offer, she added. "The factory could just leave in the middle of next year, and we might end up without welfare payments."

She added that police had beaten and detained a handful of protesters earlier this week, and armed police were still stationed outside the factory gate even though the mood had calmed.

On April 17, the state sponsored China Daily reported:

Nie Xin, of the city's publicity department, said the shoe manufacturer had agreed to increase social benefits starting in May, but the problem of paying for the benefits in arrears remains.

"Now the key problem lies in the strikers asking the shoe manufacturer to catch up on the social benefits it didn't pay workers during all the time they were employed by the company," Nie said.

"Paying back all welfare benefits over several decades for thousands of workers could bankrupt the company."

The incident sets off alarms for many other manufacturers in the economically booming Pearl River Delta region.

These screenshots show that on April 18, Sina Weibo began censoring searches for “Dongguan Yuyuan Shoe Factory Strike” (东莞裕元鞋厂罢工).

This screenshot, taken on April 19, shows that Tencent Weibo was censoring searches for that phrase also.

Chinese language reports of the incident have also begun disappearing from China’s web sites. For example:

“Over 1,000 Guangdong Shoe Factory Workers Strike to Defend Rights” (广东一家鞋厂上千员工罢工为社保维权) Originally available here: http://gd.sina.com.cn/news/m/2014-04-18/082494540.html

“Over 1,000 Guangdong Shoe Factory Workers Organize Massive Strike, Official Get Involved” (广东一鞋厂上千员工举行大规模罢工 官方介入) Originally available here: http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/gsnews/20140418/085818841866.shtml