After 2 years of effort the Ole Wolff Yantai Workplace Union won a partial victory against its employer, the Ole Wolff Electronics Yantai, a subsidiary of the Ole Wolff Electronics A/S, Denmark. In early November 2008, the company finally agreed to compensate the six unlawfully dismissed workers’ representatives with 1300-1600 yuan, an equivalence of two months wages. It was followed by a compensation package of 19,000 yuan for the unlawfully dismissed acting chairperson of the union, Jiang Qianqiu.

Jiang Qianqiu said the compensation is still far below what they have been demanding (around one to two years of wages), on top of the fact that many of their demands have not been met. For instance, the employment files of Liu Meizhen, one of the dismissed six, are still being withheld by the company, which makes her extremely difficult to find a new job. The company has also practically refused to recognize the workplace union by ignoring it. Meanwhile, the company continues to dismiss the workers and now the workforce shrinks from the peak of 250 to around 30. Yu Liyan, a woman worker and also union member, was fired on December 1 for being interviewed by the Danish National TV in August.

Jiang vowed to double her union’s effort to bring justice for their members. She also thanks the 3F, the United Federation of Danish Workers, for the latter’s support of their case. The Danish union has put pressure on the company by reporting on the case and talking to its client, the Danfoss. It was soon followed by LO, The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions. The case also receives support from the ITUC, along with four Hong Kong based groups.[1] The significance of this case is that not only the workplace union was born through a strike initiated by rank and file workers, it is also the first case which a Chinese workplace union was supported by a trade union from a foreign country and succeeded in winning some initial success.

For more please read the report on the case by Globalization Monitor, available online: http://globalmon.org.hk

Source: Globalisation Monitor, 2 December 2008

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[1] Globalization Monitor, Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Hong Kong Liaison Office (IHLO) for the International Trade Union Movement, and the Neighborhood and Workers Service Center.