Thousands Strike Shenzhen Sanyo Plant on Job Fears

About 4,000 workers at a Sanyo Electric plant in southern Shenzhen joined the rash of recent labor protests in Guangdong province Monday. The Sanyo workers were striking for job security and compensation after Sanyo integrated its factory operations with Panasonic in a cost-cutting measure.

The protesters clashed with police. Several were arrested.

The strike was prompted by workers who feared they would not receive compensation after being laid off due to the consolidation of the operations of the two Japanese firms.

At the same time about 2,000 workers are protesting at a Changhe Auto plant in Jiangxi province on fears about compensation and benefits after the parent company sold off the Changhe brand.

A large number of strikes have erupted in factories in Guangdong province recently, especially those owned by foreign firms. Weakening demand in export markets have prompted employers to seek to trim workforces and costs just as China’s migrant workers have become more assertive in demanding better wages, job security and working conditions, leading to increasingly frequent clashes.

As labor unrests have become more frequent, China’s police have tightened controls over the taking and dissemination of photos of protest rallies. No images of the Sanyo strike were available from any of the major news agency sources.