The last decade has been the rise of a militant migrant working class in China, leading with massive strike waves. However, in recent years, against the more assertive working class, the Chinese state has turned toward repression against labor organizers, and grassroots labor groups and networks. Industrial and geographic restructuring of the Chinese economy further eroded manufacturing workers’ bargaining power, while giving rise to a larger working class in the service and logistics sectors. How should labor organizers continue to organize under such conditions? What should be their strategies? And, how would they respond to the challenges of COVID-19? The online discussion will address these and other pressing questions for labor organizers in China.

Presentations by Eli Friedman and labor activists from China

Moderation: Kevin Lin (Made in China Journal)

This is the fourth event of the online discussion series "China and the Left. Critical Analysis & Grassroots Activism" which is organized by people from different left-wing initiatives, including gongchao.org (https://www.gongchao.org), Made in China Journal (https://madeinchinajournal.com), and the group behind the protests against the EU-China-Summit in Leipzig, Germany (https://noeucn.org).

The series brings together activists and researchers with a left-wing perspective in order to shed more light on China’s changed role in the world as well as on the social conflicts and mobilizations in the country. It tries to instigate more direct exchanges and solidarity at the grassroots level between overseas initiatives and social struggles and activists in China. In doing so, it also aims to undermine the rising tide of anti-Chinese racism in countries of the Global North that governments and right-wing players stir up to promote their own economic and political nationalism.

The online discussions take place on the video platform Zoom. On the day of the event, those who have booked a free ticket here will get an email with the link they need to log in and participate.

You can register for the other events of the series here as well:

Registration for no. 1/4: Clash of Capitalisms? EU-China Relations at a Crossroads

Registration for no. 2/4: The Hong Kong Protest Movement

Registration for no. 3/4: Feminism and Queer Activism in China

Recent Labor Unrest and Organizing. China and the Left-Series, No. 4/4