China labor: New Year strikes
A worker assembles small soccer balls at the production line of Ball Star Toys Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou on Sept. 4, 2007 in Guangzhou, China.
China's ongoing labor unrest has showed no signs of slowing in the first days of the new year.
According to the labor-rights group China Labour Bulletin, 2012 has already seen several large strikes at high-profile companies, and the country's restive labor situation could continue for some time to come. The CLB says: "The recent upsurge in worker activism in China is continuing into the New Year with five more strikes and protests in five different provinces getting media attention last week."
Worker uprisings have created a major sore spot for the Chinese regime for many months now, with strikes arising across the country over labor conditions and government regulations as Chinese workers have gained more of a voice and greater expectations about how they should be treated in the workplace.