Leaner Factories, Fewer Workers Bring More Labor Unrest to China

China’s shift away from economic isolation has begun to take its toll on communist workers. Accustomed to government promises of job security, newly unemployed workers at state-owned factories are voicing their concerns through strikes and large-scale protests. Employees at the Daqing Oil Company were told months ago that the collapse of the oil industry would likely force massive layoffs. They were encouraged to accept severance packages that seemed enormous at the time, but the prospect of permanent unemployment is looming large, especially for older workers whose pensions are gone, and workers believe the company deceived them. The Chinese government has deployed riot police in the Daqing area, and though no major confrontations have occurred, tension is building there and in other areas, both urban and rural. – YaleGlobal