About 250 workers at a Foshan factory which makes exhaust systems for Guangqi Honda Automobile went on strike yesterday demanding better wages and paid overtime, saying they had been emboldened by a two-week strike by Honda workers.
A prominent labour analyst warned that passive corporations that hesitated to adjust mainland wages could expect further strikes.
Workers at Honda Autoparts Manufacturing in Foshan ended their strike on Friday when management of Japan's No 2 carmaker agreed to increase the basic salary of workers by about 500 yuan (HK$570). The strike led to parts shortages that forced the closure of Honda's four car factories in Guangzhou and Wuhan .
Yesterday's strike began at 6.50am when about 20 workers sought to rally workmates at the entrance to Foshan Fengfu Autoparts' 12,000 square metre plant in Chancheng. By noon, more than 215 workers had agreed to go on strike, with the number increasing to more than 250 by last night.
A 22-year-old worker from Hunan province said it was not right that they had been forced to take days off during the strike at Honda Autoparts and now had to work unpaid overtime to make up the lost hours.
'Starting from Saturday, we were called to work extra hours without compensation,' he said. 'I work on the morning shift, which starts at 7.30 and finishes at 4.30, but now I'm required to work eight hours more after that without the normal double pay.'