Employees in China should be allowed to protest against work conditions without fear of reprisals
Aaron Halegua says the mainland needs to extend the legal protection now given to whistle-blowers to workers who complain of ill treatment
On March 30, China issued a new regulation to better protect whistle-blowers who report work-related crimes. Among the provisions are several articles that not only prohibit retaliation, but also, for the first time, describe the many forms it can take and provide greater detail on how the government should prevent and address reprisals. Laying this legislative foundation is an important step. The government should adopt similar anti-retaliation provisions for workers who protest against labour law violations by employers.
New rules to protect China’s workplace whistle-blowers
The same problem exists in individual disputes. Besides termination, retaliation may also occur in “less visible – and more deniable – ways such as transfers to other posts, or the rejection of a promotion or bonus”, as reported in the Post. In a survey of 685 Foxconn workers, over 47 per cent reported experiencing retaliation after raising a complaint. Public-sector workers are not immune either.
