Hundreds of Women Workers Petition for Jobs in Daqing, Heilongjiang (Follow-up 3)

18 October 2001

(Broadcast on October 18th, 2001)

For two consecutive days, on Tuesday October 15th and Wednesday 16th, we reported on the petition by hundreds of women workers from Daqing Blanket Factory taking place outside the city's government offices. On the Monday of that week, the authorities arrested five workers taking part in the demonstration and the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday even more workers gathered in front of the government's City Complaints Office to demand the release of their colleagues. The Complaints office announced that the workers would be released on two conditions: firstly that they each hand over Rmb 170 to cover food and lodging costs [incurred while in detention] and secondly that the workers cannot petition again. Please listen to this report from a worker on their effort to secure release of their colleagues at the Complaints Office.

Worker:

The requirements for the release were that there wouldn't be any more petitioning as this has caused the government considerable embarrassment. Secondly, all of us had to contribute to cover the [detained workers'] board and lodging costs of Rmb170. They are now into the third day [of detention] and the detained workers are saying that they are not coming out until the problem is solved. We outside don't agree and think it's best that they come out as soon as possible because one of the women in there is injured and another has heart disease. They should come out as soon as possible as we are not going to solve these problems in a couple of days.

This report came from one of the workers. I then telephoned the Complaints Office and was told by a cadre:

Cadre (a woman):

Um…I am not too sure about this situation.

Han:

Is it the case that there are several workers detained in the Complaints Office lock-up?

The line was cut. I rang back

Han:

Hello.

[Another] Cadre (a man):

Yes?

Han:

Is that the Complaints Office?

Cadre:

Yes

Han:

I just want to know if the arrested workers from the Blanket Factory have been released…

Cadre:

Who are you? We have not agreed to a telephone interview.

Han:

Have they been released?

Cadre:

I do not accept this interview. (hangs up)

I next telephoned the Mayor's inquiry hotline and was told that the Mayor was not responsible for the management of the Complaints Office. Moreover, if the workers were not happy with the arrests, they could take legal action through the courts.

Mayor's hotline:

I am not too sure about this business. You need to ask the Complaints Office.

Han:

I just rang the government's reception office as well as the Party Committee's reception office and they all say it's nothing to do with them and they don't know anything it. And now you are saying the same thing - you don't know what's going on.

Mayor's hotline:

It's their responsibility to answer. This incident has nothing to do with us at this office.

Han:

But they refused to answer!

Mayor’s hotline:

If they are refusing to answer then you will have to talk to someone else. This incident has nothing to do with us.

Han:

Aren't you the inquiry hotline?

Mayor's hotline:

Yes.

Han:

If the Complaints Office goes against procedures or government policy on arrest and detention, doesn't the mayor's office have a responsibility to sort it out?

Mayor's hotline:

Isn't there an Administrative Litigation Law to deal with rights violations?

Han:

If the Complaints Office commits an error, doesn't the Mayor have a responsibility to deal with it?

Mayor's hotline:

If the people feel the authorities have made a wrongful arrest, they can use the law as a weapon to protect themselves. They can use the Administrative Litigation Law to launch an appeal.

The following is a report from a worker present at the incident last Monday when the petitioners were attacked and arrested in front of the government offices.

Worker:

On that day, all of us had gathered to demand to see Mayor Wang Zhibin and were shouting slogans demanding as such all morning. But he didn't come out and instead we got the riot police who forced all 600 to 700 of us out of the government office compound. About that time, many of the women with kids had to leave to meet them from school, so we all went home. When we came back in the afternoon, we hung a banner and shouted for the Mayor to come out and talk to us. The riot police emerged, spotted the leaders, and asked us if we were going to leave the area. We replied that if we left, there was no way our problems would be dealt with, so we weren't going to leave. We were already on the verge of destitution! The reply was “if you don't leave, we will use force”. And then they started to grab people and beat those who resisted. One woman was beaten to the point that her head and body was covered in blood. Four people were beaten and handed over to the Complaints Office lock up. In all, five people were grabbed, two men and three women.

Over the past few days, we have telephoned all the relevant government departments in Daqing regarding the collective petition by workers from the Daqing Blanket Factory. Apart from a top official at the City Complaints Office who said that workers shouting slogans and putting up posters ought to be arrested, all the other departments we spoke to would not acknowledge the protest or that anyone had been detained. Today, a cadre from the Daqing Federation of Trade Unions finally confirmed that over the last two days a large number of workers with banners had gathered outside the government offices and shouted slogans.

Trade Union:

On the first day, there was a group of workers inside the government compound shouting slogans. I am not sure what happened or how it turned out.

Han:

What day was that?

Trade Union:

Monday through Tuesday. They wanted to talk to the Mayor and didn’t want to see us.

The trade union cadre also said that the government's reform of state-owned enterprises had not been carried out with union involvement as was stipulated by the law. He said there was nothing the union could do:

Trade Union:

This business with the two blanket factories was settled last year and it should be all sorted out.

Han:

Was the union involved in the settlement last year?

Trade Union.

No. The city government handled it.

Han:

What the workers are saying now is that the original settlement was unfair and they want a new one.

Trade Union:

The city government acted in accordance with the regulations and the reform programme.

Han:

Did the union agree to the programme before it was established?

Trade Union:

Well… Seems not.

Han:

Isn't that illegal then?

Trade Union:

These days, there are many government policies that don't go through the union.

Han:

Isn't that illegal?

Trade Union:

Illegal or not, what can we do? It's the same in many enterprises all over the country.

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