5000 Chinese Steel Company Workers Strike

Over 5000 workers from Hanzhong Iron and Steel Group Company in Shaanxi Province went on a strike on Tuesday to protest low wages and long working hours. They blocked the factory entrance, demanding a pay raise. They didn’t get a response from the factory's management. The next day, they took a banner to the streets reading, "We want our lawful rights and interests, we need food to survive."

According to China Jasmine Revolution website, local police disrupted the procession by blocking and dispersing the protesters. More than a dozen workers were arrested. A local government staffer admitted the strike, but declined to provide more information.

[Local Government Staffer]:
"Now the government is resolving the issue."

[NTD Reporter]:
"So they are still on strike today?"

[Local Government Staffer]:
"I can’t tell you anything about it, I can’t tell you over the phone."

The workers from Hanzhong Iron and Steel Group Company have complained over the Internet that they do not have any time off on weekends, holidays and annual leave. Their monthly wage is 1,500 yuan, about 238 US dollars. It's hard to survive with the low payment in China where inflation is soaring.

According to the official website of Hanzhong Iron and Steel Group, the company is a newly developed private enterprise after it acquired several local state-owned enterprises since 2003. Currently the company has more than 5500 employees, and 1098 professional and technical personnel.