On February 13, 700 workers at the Panyu Li Chang Footwear Co. Ltd returned from their New Year holiday to find that the owner had stolen their wages, closed the factory and sold all the equipment. Now five of the workers who peacefully appealed for justice face criminal charges.

Chinese authorities publicly announce arrest of five workers.

On February 13, the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, some 700 workers at the Panyu Li Chang Footwear Co. Ltd in Panyu district of Guangzhou City returned from their New Year holiday. They were expecting to receive their back wages - estimated to be around 2,000 Yuan per worker - and resume work. Instead, they found that the owner had stolen their wages, closed the factory and sold all the equipment. The gates to the factory and their living quarters were locked. Dozens of long-term workers discovered that the owner had not paid their social insurance and other entitlements for around ten years. Others found that payments had not been made for the last nine months despite being deducted from their monthly wages.

In an attempt to seek justice, approximately 400 workers peacefully walked from the factory to the Guangzhou Municipal government offices. The police stopped the workers and detained about 50 of them. Five were formally arrested and detained on criminal charges for illegal assembly and demonstration.

Please take action today to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the five workers who spontaneously and peacefully walked with their fellow workers to report the factory owner's crime and call on the authorities for help.

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According to the report in the Panyu Daily, on February 28 the five workers were forced to stand on a podium while their arrests were publicly announced. Jian Xi Bo, the district standing committee and secretary of the politics and law committee, was reported to have said that workers who use road or bridge blockades to express their discontent will not be protected by law. The walk to the government offices, however, was both spontaneous and peaceful. The workers should not be penalized for blocking traffic since this was the inevitable consequence of the fact that so many workers were robbed and evicted by the factory owner in one day.

It is time for China to stop its systematic repression of internationally recognized human rights, particularly freedom of expression and freedom of association. The ability of workers to engage in dialogue with employers and openly express their grievances is a fundamental part of a just society.

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Dear Mayor Zhang Guangning and President Hu Jintao,

On February 13, the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, some 700 workers at the Panyu Li Chang Footwear Co. Ltd in Panyu district of Guangzhou City returned from their holiday. They expected to go back to work and to receive their back wages - estimated to be around 2,000 Yuan per worker. Instead, they found that the owner had stolen their wages, closed the factory and sold all the equipment. The gates to the factory and their living quarters were locked. Dozens of long-term workers discovered that the owner had not paid their social insurance and other entitlements for around ten years. Others found that payments had not been made for the last nine months, despite being deducted from their monthly wages.

In an attempt to seek justice, approximately 400 workers peacefully walked from the factory to the Guangzhou Municipal government offices. The police stopped the workers and detained about 50 of them. Five were formally arrested and detained on criminal charges for illegal assembly and demonstration. According to the report in the Panyu Daily, on February 28 the five workers were forced to stand on a podium while their arrests were publicly announced. Jian Xi Bo, the district standing committee and secretary of the politics and law committee, was reported to have said that workers who use road or bridge blockades to express their discontent will not be protected by law. The walk to the government offices, however, was both spontaneous and peaceful. The workers should not be penalized for blocking traffic, since this was the inevitable consequence of the fact that so many workers were robbed and evicted by the factory owner in one day.

I am writing today to request that you:

1. drop the criminal charges against the five workers and release them immediately and unconditionally;

2. ensure that all workers get their full wages, severance pay, and social insurance and pension premiums;

3. respect workers' right to freedom of expression and association;

4. bring the owner of Panyu Li Chang Footwear Co. Ltd to justice.

The ability of workers to engage in dialogue with employers and openly express their grievances is a fundamental part of a just society. The workers at the Panyu Li Chang factory are victims of a horrible crime. They must not be judged criminals for seeking to inform authorities about the owner's misdeed and requesting help.

Sincerely,

cc: Guangzhou Municipal ACFTU and Guangdong Provincial ACFTU
chairman@gzgh.org.cn
5, Donyuanheng Road, Yuexiu Nan, Guangzhou City, PRC, 510000

3. Fax a copy of this letter to:
Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Guangzhou City
1F, 148th DongHua south road, GuangZhou
Tel: 86-20-83841733 Fax: 86-20-83841733