January 28 2008

A reported near riot on January 14 at the Maersk Container Industri facility at Dongguan Port, China has led to the company cancelling its contract with a security company whose behaviour, along with grievances over holidays, are believed to have sparked the trouble.

Southern Metro News reported that there was discontent over the company’s insistence that staff should work overtime in order to qualify for a five day holiday at the  Lunar New Year in February. However, according to Radio Free Asia the disturbances were sparked when security guards broke the nose of 21 year old Zhao Hongwei, who had refused to pay a 200 yuan fine for queue jumping at lunch.

“I didn’t have time to queue because we only get 30 minutes to eat our lunch, so I jumped over the barrier,” Zhao Hongwei told Radio Free Asia.

“As I was leaving (the security guards) blocked my way and wouldn’t let me leave. They were waiting for me outside the door. They surrounded me and started hitting me with their walkie-talkies around the head,” he added.

Hundreds of workers are then reported to have begun smashing equipment.

“It is total chaos here. We don’t even know where to start. There are lots of broken windows. Wherever there was a piece of glass, it has now been broken,” a member of the administrative staff told Radio Free Asia.

In a statement released on 17 January Maersk Container Industri confirmed that a confrontation had taken place between employees and subcontracted security company.

The company states that as of 17 January, the facility has partly reopened and it “is cooperating with local authorities to resolve remaining matters ... management is in dialogue with employee representatives.

“The relationship with the firm rendering security services to Maersk Container Industri Dongguan has been discontinued as the actions of its representatives have been found irreconcilable with the standards of behavior expected by Maersk Container Industri.”

A local newspaper quoted the facility’s Vice President, Huang Ping, as saying that workers had misunderstood the rules about New Year Holidays.

According to Danish daily newspaper Politiken some 2000 workers are employed at the factory. There is no trade union, but there is a committee with 20 members to discuss conditions. Thirteen of these are employees.