Unions must protect, not placate
<p><span word="Nearly">Nearly</span> 1,200 <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Shenzhen">Shenzhen</span> <span word="Trade">Trade</span> <span word="Union">Union</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="dispatched">dispatched</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="assuage">assuage</span> <span word="aggrieved">aggrieved</span> <span word="employees">employees</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Foxconn">Foxconn</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="factory">factory</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Longhua">Longhua</span> <span word="district">district</span>, <span word="showed">showed</span> "<span word="good">good</span> <span word="progress">progress</span>" <span word="after">after</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="candid">candid</span> <span word="discussions">discussions</span> <span word="with">with</span> (<span word="Foxconn">Foxconn</span>) <span word="employees">employees</span>, <span word="coordinated">coordinated</span> <span word="communication">communication</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="organized">organized</span> <span word="recreational">recreational</span> <span word="activities">activities</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="papers">papers</span> <span word="reported">reported</span>. </p><p><span word="Remember">Remember</span> <span word="this">this</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="unit">unit</span> <span word="employs">employs</span> 300,000 <span word="workers">workers</span>, <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="trade">trade</span> <span word="union">union</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="reports">reports</span> <span word="certainly">certainly</span> <span word="reassure">reassure</span> <span word="readers">readers</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="done">done</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="serves">serves</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="throw">throw</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="picture">picture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="harmony">harmony</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="spate">spate</span> <span word="of">of</span> 13 <span word="suicides">suicides</span> <span word="claimed">claimed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lives">lives</span> <span word="of">of</span> 10 <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="months">months</span>.</p><p><span word="Yet">Yet</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="members">members</span>' <span word="show">show</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="prompted">prompted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="question">question</span>: "<span word="What">What</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="trade">trade</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="attempted">attempted</span> <span word="suicides">suicides</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="employee">employee</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="factory">factory</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="beaten">beaten</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="allegedly">allegedly</span> <span word="stealing">stealing</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="iPhone">iPhone</span> <span word="prototype">prototype</span>?"</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="was">was</span>: "<span word="What">What</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trade">trade</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>?" </p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="responsibility">responsibility</span> - <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="commonsense">commonsense</span> <span word="approach">approach</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="suggest">suggest</span> - <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="unions">unions</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="legitimate">legitimate</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="interests">interests</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="employees">employees</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="conflicts">conflicts</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="managements">managements</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="committed">committed</span> <span word="suicide">suicide</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Foxconn">Foxconn</span> <span word="unit">unit</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="relatively">relatively</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="span">span</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="bizarre">bizarre</span> <span word="enough">enough</span>; <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="concerted">concerted</span> <span word="action">action</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ascertain">ascertain</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="improve">improve</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conditions">conditions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="factory">factory</span>.</p>
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