China : Striking sanitation workers make demands heard in summer heat
Nearly 40 workers were arrested on 23 August during their second strike in a month demanding wage increases.
The municipal sanitation worker of Lipu county first went on strike in
late July protesting a low monthly take home pay of just 1,200 yuan. With no response from officials, workers went on strike once more and published a list of demands, including a monthly pay of 2,000 yuan with annual increases, full social insurance, paid vacation, and that all these conditions be included in a new contract.
Three elderly workers were hospitalized during the police arrests. The sanitation workers clean the streets of Lipu county, which is part of the greater Guilin area, one of China’s biggest tourist destinations.