TONGHUA -- Trade unions have come a long way since their humble beginnings in the late 19th century. These essential institutions in the labour market have been and continue to be vital in ensuring employees' working conditions and rights. In particular, the World Trade Foundation (WTF) salutes the efforts and achievements of a group of steel workers here in Tonghua, north-eastern China.
After reports of Tonghua Steel and Iron Group being taken over by private firm Jianlong Group, many steel workers feared for their jobs. Realizing the ineffectiveness of already common-place collective bargaining tactics such as strikes and walkouts, the labourers staged a riot in the factory and around the city in Tonghua.
Albeit the 200 or so injured during the confrontation, the workers were able to quickly beat the newly-appointed general manager Chen Guojun to death, effectively putting an end to any possibility of a takeover, a feat which the regional government confirmed shortly afterwards.
The WTF proudly recognizes the innovative and efficient collective bargaining methods that the Chinese workers enacted and congratulates them on their job-saving efforts against the destructive merger plan.
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