On Friday, about 500 workers gathered outside a Honda factory in the city of Zhongshan in Guangdong Province. The protesters called for better pay and independent unions.

"We come out here from our home towns; we come here to earn money. We don't want to strike, either, but we need to earn money. We don't want to strike because nobody wants to lose their jobs. We just want to earn money, that's all."

The workers want to scrap the use of official state-sanctioned labor unions.

[Lin Wenwu, Honda Employee]:
"We want to reorganize our labor union. How can we expect this present union to do anything for us? It seems the workers have no right to speak."

Earlier, management had asked workers to sign a document agreeing to a pay raise, but it was less than what workers had demanded.

"I've been working here for five years, some people have been working here for 10 years and they only get a pay increase of 20 yuan a month every year."

Management warned the protesters of serious consequences if the strike continues.

"Regarding your demand for a pay rise, let's return to our factory to discuss. What you are doing is very serious and it's bad for you, too.”

At one point about 50 riot police blocked one end of the street, but later gave way to let workers leave the area after management told them to go home and return in the afternoon to negotiate.

The confrontation at Honda follows a growing number of labor disputes in China that started in the affluent Pearl River Delta area of Guangdong, but has since shown signs of spreading to other areas.