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Article

12 Jul 2017

Author:
China Labour Bulletin

Chinese Volkswagen workers call on German parent company to assume responsibility for violations

After being released from police custody, Changchun FAW-Volkswagen worker representative Ai Zhenyu published a letter urging the German parent company Volkswagen Group to…take responsibility for labour rights violations…In June 2017, worker representatives Fu Tianbo, Ai Zhenyu and Wang Shuai were arrested by police for organizing their fellow agency workers in a months-long campaign for equal pay. Ai and Wang have been released while Fu Tianbo remains in detention. Fu’s family has been harassed by police and his mother posted a video expressing her wish to see her son...Fu's coworkers and family maintain his innocence…

Several thousand FAW-Volkswagen agency workers in China's northeast city of Changchun have been demanding equal pay since 2016. For half a year workers have conducted a highly organised campaign and met with management and government officials to settle their dispute through collective negotiations. When negotiations grew difficult, the company backed away from negotiations with representatives and police began targeting worker representatives
 
Of over 3,000 agency workers at FAW-Volkswagen, a large number have over 10 years seniority. They claim their salaries are only half of what a full FAW-VW worker is paid, and they do not enjoy any of the benefits of a full employee. They demand compensation for years of inequality and the guarantee of fair contract terms for the future...

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