Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A76-W26
魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A76-W26
Release Date: June 20, 2004
发布日：2004年6月20日
Topic: Strong Pleas for Paying Close Attention to Chinese Workers -- Letters to Wei Jingsheng Foundation
标题：强烈请求关注中国工人的问题 -- 写给魏京生基金会
Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)
此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）
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In the past, especially the last three months, we have been receiving various communications from China from either friends or unknown allies, some directly, some indirectly. Especially, we have received many feedbacks about Chinese workers condition after Wei Jingsheng attended the press conference of AFL-CIO (see Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition News and Article Release Issue: A57-W16, March 31, 2004) and Ciping Huang testify in the US Senate about Chinese workers' condition (Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A58-W17, April 5, 2004). With all the comments and input, there is a lot of encouragement, and some criticism. One of the important subjects is the workers' movement, a crucial element of Chinese democracy movement.
While we are unable to give direct one-to-one replies to each of people who tried to talk to us, we do want to collectively acknowledge and thank those of you who have been making constructive and important feedback and suggestions. In particular, we want to thank those who have given more detailed and insightful information about the Chinese workers' situation. You have helped us to learn more of the suffering of Chinese workers, which gives us a better and more truthful picture that we can pass on to the whole world. We hope that the more the others know the more likely the improvement will be. Let's work together.
Currently, the Wei Jingsheng Foundation is trying to compile documents to aid the Chinese workers, in an effort of teach them to use the legal measure, especially the Chinese labor laws, to defend their own rights and demand a decent and fair treatment. We are also collecting materials from the international workers' movement, in an effort to serve as examples to aid the Chinese workers. If you have an input or suggestions, please let us know.
In this issue of the newsletter, we want to share with you one of the letters we have received, as an encouragement to ourselves, as well as a gratitude to the author, who is still inside China.
-- Ciping Huang
-- -- --
Strong Pleas for Paying Close Attention to Chinese Workers
-- Letters to Wei Jingsheng Foundation
It is encouraging to get some of communications from your Wei Jingsheng Foundation, although I wish you could do more in paying attention to the workers movement. I do not understand why many overseas Chinese democracy organizations are not paying enough attention to the workers' movement. However, I am sure that this type of organization will face failure for that mistake. Today, the silly slogan of the Chinese Communists that "workers' class is the pioneer class" is no longer true. However, we must depend on workers' power to move against the dictatorial government.
I think that, instead of endlessly spending effort with the Chinese government on the June 4 issue, it is better to shift our target to "get power for workers". Why do I say so? The following is my argument.
1. Regarding many democracy advocators who are spending all the effort on ideology issues or the June 4 issue (some even wrote letters to the Chinese government, hoping to overrule their conclusion of June 4), I express my respect. However, I do not support them for strategy reasons. Just picture how much obstacle there would be. Even the higher officials realized that it would not be possible to change. So we may get nothing out of the Chinese government by insisting on the June 4 issue.
2. However, we should pay attention to the workers, now the weak group of this society. If we could do that, by organizing the workers inside China to fight for their own rights, the result would be different. We could encourage them to work for their rights - the rights that the government has promised but failed to carry out. We may not get results, but it would put enough threat on the Chinese Communist government. An example would be: "Are the labor laws really in effect (to protect) the Chinese workers (especially peasant workers)?" Have the requirements for maximum working hours and minimum working wages that were defined by the labor laws been met? The answer is a no. In my town, many businesses make workers work for 12 to 14 hours, and do not pay them for 2 to 3 months. Even with a bonus, they can only get 500 to 600 Yuan per month. The minimum-starting wage is 450 Yuan per month, although a calculation of a fair pay offered by the government indicates that they should be receiving at least 1000 Yuan. The condition for a massive scale strike is already there. But it needs leaders and strategy.
So this task of course should be on your democracy advocators' shoulders. I hope you could educate, even sponsor some of them. Just picture, if 40% of workers (including peasant workers) along the Southeast coast participated in a workers' movement, what kind of the impact it would be?"
Hope to hear more regarding workers' movements and workers' unions.
-- Xiao Xiao
(The letter was edited. It does not necessarily represent the stand of either Wei Jingsheng himself, or the Wei Jingsheng Foundation.)
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中文版
Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A76-W26
魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A76-W26
Release Date: June 20, 2004
发布日：2004年6月20日
Topic: Strong Pleas for Paying Close Attention to Chinese Workers -- Letters to Wei Jingsheng Foundation
标题：强烈请求关注中国工人的问题 -- 写给魏京生基金会
Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)
此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）
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编者按：
近来，尤其是2004年3月间魏京生出席了美国劳联产联的记者会（参见中国民主运动海外联席会议新闻与文章发布号：A57-W16：魏京生出席美国工会劳联产联记者会，强调中国工人的基本权利）与黄慈萍在美国参议院的听证（参见魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A58-W17：黄慈萍在美国国会为中国工人的悲惨状况作证）之后，我们收到了包括来自中国大陆国内的许多直接与间接的信息，支持与反馈。特此一并致谢！
目前，魏京生基金会正在筹划编辑有关如何学习外国工人运动的经验，利用现有的中国劳动法来促进中国工人群众有理有利有捷的方式来争取自身的权利的小册子，欢迎大家提供宝贵意见。
在此，我们发表众多回馈中的国内来信一封，以表对支持者们的谢意。
-- 黄慈萍
-- -- --
强烈请求关注中国工人的问题
-- 写给魏京生基金会
好像大家对工人问题没有太大的兴趣。我敢肯定地说，任何想绕开中国工人问题的民运组织都将注定要失败的。工人阶级先锋队的谬论应该唾弃了；可是，我们必须依靠工人阶级的力量来和专治对抗。
我觉得，与其无休止的和中共纠缠“六.四”问题；还不如，工作重点转到为“为工人争夺权利”上。为什么要这么说？原因大致有以下几点：
（1） 和中共纠缠“六.四”问题或者意识形态
海外很多民运者，还在无休止的和中共纠缠“六.四”问题（包括有人向中共写信，希望给“六.四”平反）。首先，我表示由衷的敬意；但是，从策略上讲我不支持他们这样做。试想，中共当局要平反“六.四”有克服多大的内部阻力、要牵动多少关节。即使，中共某些高层已经意识到这个问题；但是，要改变现状谈何容易。所以，和中共纠缠“六.四”可能毫无结果。
（2） 以工人（弱势群体）的力量和专治抗衡
如果，我们我们有足够的能力组织国内工人阶级自发的为其权力奋争的话；其结果，可能就不一样了。我们组织工人为那些“政府承诺做，而没有做的事”而奋争；可能会没有结果，但是我们可以给中共足够的震慑。典型的像“劳动法是否向中共所说的那样，对中国工人（特别是农民工）起到了作用”。劳动法规定的最长工作时间、最低工资待遇等等是否达到了要求，答案是否定的。我所在的那个小镇，好多企业都让工人工作长达12-14小时、工资拖欠2-3个月、每个月仅能得到500-600元（包括加班工资）。当地的最低工资标准为450元，如果按政府规定支付最少也能拿到1000以上。 可以说，产生大规模罢工的条件已经相当具备了；关键的是，缺少合适的领导及策划人。
我个人认为，这样领导及策划人当仁不让的落在了民运者的身上；海外民运组织有责任培养（包括资助）一些这样的人。试想，东南沿海如果有40%的工人（农民工）直接参与工人运动；对当局又会产生怎样的影响呢？ 欢迎大家就工人运动的组织发表意见。
-- 萧萧
(以上为编者向您们推荐的读者来信。来信观点并不代表本基金会或魏京生先生本人的观点与立场。)
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