Re: [Marxism] China Drafts Law to Boost Unions and End Labor Abuse (NYT)

[Rod Holt <rholt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is confusion over what is being discussed on this topic. I thought 
it was: What is the meaning of the recent Chinese government's 
pronouncements on unionizing foreign owned enterprises, or 
alternatively, does the state *really* mean to improve the lot of its 
workers, or just in those special cases where imperialist capital will 
be penalized?

The IMT document referrenced by Fred Weston says: "Together with the 
massive development of the productive forces comes an enormous 
strengthening of the working class" A strengthening? The opposite is 
closer to the truth. As Louis has pointed out, there is lots already on 
this list to answer questions on the Chinese state (and its very own 
ACFTU) and the workers. Very useful are the World Bank document "China's 
Employment Challenges and Strategies after the WTO Accession" by Douglas 
Zhihua Zeng (Feb. 2005), 
http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/137740/Zeng3522.pdf, and 
"China's Ownership Transformation: Process, Outcomes, Prospects", 
(2005), www.ifc.org; www.worldbank.org.

Everywhere you look the numbers indicate that it is capitalism that is 
gaining. "Guangdong has grown by more than 10 percent annually for the 
past decade. But its factory workers, mostly migrants from the interior, 
earn no more today than they did in 1993, several Chinese studies have 
found. The average wage of $50 to $70 a month also buys less today than 
it did in the early 1990's, meaning workers are losing ground even as 
China enjoys one of the longest and most robust expansions in modern 
history," says Joseph Kahn in the NYT "Week in Review", Jan. 25, 2004. 
There is no new data to contradict this general view.

I would argue that the Chinese state functions in the interests of its 
bureaucrats turned capitalists and other native capitalists intertwined 
with the bureaucracy. Therefore, the recent moves by the state to 
encourage "unions" is intended to strengthen domestic capital as against 
imperialist capital while simultaneously placating a section of the 
working class.
      --rod




cort greene wrote:

> For your all consider, a different perspective and analysis than what is being 
> presented.
>
>         Where is China going? - Part One Part Two and Part Three by Fred Weston 
> (May 2006) In Defense of Marxism - http://www.marxist.com
>
>
>  
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