Commune Debate

thecomune.org.uk present Free event, Wednesday 6th April 19.00-21.00

80 Stokes Croft, Hamilton House, 5th floor Meeting room*

In mid-2010 a strike wave rolled through China’s factories, the most widespread and militant expression of China’s internal migrant workers so far. Their struggle shook the Chinese regime and provoked a world-wide debate about the end of the low-wage-model that stands behind China’s rise to the “factory of the world” and provides Europe and other regions with cheap consumer products.

We will look at the social conditions that stand behind the militant outbreak — the situation and struggles of different groups of migrant workers, such as construction, factory, domestic and sex workers, before examining the strike wave and its implications and discussing the formation of a new working class movement in China.

The discussion will also focus on new forms of reference, exchange and support that take into account the current phase of crisis and the increasing number of social struggles in different parts of the world.

The presentation with a short video from actual struggles will be led by someone who has lived in China and worked on publications on China’s migrant workers, including ‘Dagongmei — Women workers From China’s World Market-Factories Tell Their Story’ and ‘The Take-off of the Second Generation — Migrant Work, Gender and Class Composition in China’ (see www.gongchao.org).