Chick & cheap: Do we need clothing from Asia?
Posted: January 26, 2011 Filed under: TV report | Tags: Bangladesh, Brauchen wir billige Kleidung, China, Clothing from Asia, Hessischer Rundfunk, India, KiK, Otto, Trigema 1 Comment »Yesterday (25.1. @ 21.45) the local German TV station “Hessischer Rundfunk” had a 45 minutes discussion headed “Chick & cheap: Do we need clothing from China, India, Bangladesh?” Four people were invited: the owner of Trigema (who produce in Germany), an Otto representative (who mainly produce in Asia), a journalist from the German women magazine “Brigitte” and the journalist, who researched the “KiK story”. You find more information here.
Although I think that the title is little helpful to the debate, although the “discussion round” is too biased (I am missing a worker and industry representative from India/China/Bangladesh), and although I haven’t seen the discussion, I recommend to watch the discussion, as there are not so many TV discussions about the topic. You can streamline the discussion during the next 6 days here. I am happy, if you give me your feedback on the discussion.
But what I find particularly sad about the HR website is the possibility to “vote” regarding the question: “Do we need clothing from China, India and Bangladesh? – you can answer “Yes” or “No” … Dear HR: Is this supposed to be high quality journalism? What kind of results do you expect or wish to achieve with such a (rhetoric) question regarding such a complex topic? How should the people interpret a result saying that, e.g., 80% voted for “Yes”? Maybe we would like to be informed about a “, because …”. This poll has “BILD”-”quality”: it is totally useless and, worse so, it results in misinformation or even manipulation of the readers. I am disappointed about this kind of publicly-funded journalism. Why don’t you rather open an audience-discussion about the TV discussion on your website.
Mapping strikes in China
Posted: December 21, 2010 Filed under: Tool | Tags: China, strikes 1 Comment »Do you want to know more about strikes in China? Chinastrikes offers an interesting website, where you can submit details about strikes in China, which will then be mapped. The size of the circles indicates the number of submitted strikes.
The purpose of the website is designated as:
to track strikes, protests and other collective actions by Chinese workers to defend their rights and interests. We hope that over time the site will serve as a resource to those wishing to better understand and support the labor movement in China.
The website looks like a good idea, but so far, many reports are “unverified”. I also did not find, who is behind the page, but it offers an address at Columbia University. More information about the ones behind the website could improve its credibility.
Striking migrant workers in China (book)
Posted: November 22, 2010 Filed under: Book | Tags: China, Migrant workers, Worker strikes Leave a comment »Assoziations A just published a book “Aufbruch der zweiten Generation” on migrant workers, gender and class in China. The book deals with the second generation of migrant workers, who leave the villages, break out from traditional gender relations and struggle for their rights.
The book is edited by Pun Ngai and Ching Kwan Lee, who have both been working extensively on workers in China. Pun Ngai is Professor in Hong Kong, and in 2005 published: “Made in China: Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace”. Ching Kwan Lee is professor at Berkely and published books like: “Working in China: Ethnographies of Labor and Workplace Transformation” (2007). The current book collects essays, which might be of interest to all working on CSR in this region.
Unfortunately the book is only published in German, but some of the articles do exist in English. Here is the content:
FreundInnen von gongchao: Vorwort – Aufbruch der zweiten Generation
Teil 1 – Untersuchung der neuen Klassensubjekte
Pun Ngai/Lu Huilin: Klassenerfahrung der BauarbeiterInnen in Chinas Subunternehmersystem
Zhang Lu: Chinas Automobilindustrie. Schlanke Produktion und Kontrolle der ArbeiterInnen in einem Zeitalter der Globalisierung
Xue Hong: Strategien der Arbeitskontrolle in drei Elektronikfabriken Südchinas
Zhang Xia: ziyou (Freiheit), Berufswahl und Arbeit: bangbang in Chongqing, China
Zheng Tiantian: Von Bäuerinnen zu Barhostessen. Eine Ethnographie der Karaoke-Sexindustrie Chinas
Yan Hairong: Zwischen Ruralität und Autonomie im Arbeitsprozess. Migrantische Hausangestellte im heutigen China
Teil 2 – Prozesse der Klassenzusammensetzung
Ching Kwan Lee: Die Entwicklung des Arbeiteraufruhrs in China
FreundInnen von gongchao: “Sie haben das selbst organisiert” – Die Streikwelle von Mai bis Juli 2010 in China
Pun Ngai/Chris King-Chi Chan: Die Subsumtion des Klassendiskurses in China
The book is being presented in Zurich, Berne, Vienna:
Zürich | Streiks in China 2010 + Buchvorstellung: “Aufbruch der zweiten Generation”
Freitag, 10. Dezember ’10, 19:30 Uhr, im Infoladen Kasama, Militärstr. 87a
Bern | Streiks in China 2010 + Buchvorstellung: “Aufbruch der zweiten Generation”
Samstag, 11. Dezember ’10, 19:30 Uhr, im Infoladen Infoladen Reitschule, Neubrückstrasse 8
Wien | Streiks in China 2010 + Buchvorstellung: “Aufbruch der zweiten Generation”
Donnerstag, 16. Dezember ’10, 19:30 Uhr, im Amerlinghaus (Kulturzentrum Spittelberg), Stiftgasse 8, 1070 Wien
