60. An unknown caller invited Zhang Jun to go for tea; the female workers elected a representative to go and handle the matter.

On the afternoon of October 18, 2006, while Zhang Jun was playing cards with the female workers, he received several consecutive calls from unknown numbers.

A man on the other end of the line asked, “Are you Zhang Jun?”

Zhang Jun replied, “That’s right. What can I do for you?”

The other person said, “You’re quite bold—daring to organize so many workers to go on strike.”

Zhang Jun immediately retorted, “Cut it out. Please don’t hide behind the scenes and spout nonsense. If you’ve got the guts, come to the strike site and see for yourself—who’s inciting the female workers there? You must be a government official, right?”

The other person did not answer directly, but softened their tone slightly and continued, “With so many workers participating in the strike, have you considered the consequences if they all end up losing their jobs? Can you handle that responsibility?”

Zhang Jun replied, “The female workers are already mentally prepared. They’re right here beside me. If you have any questions, you can speak with them directly.”

As soon as Zhang Jun finished speaking, he immediately handed his cell phone to a female worker standing nearby. She took the phone and shouted into it, but the call had already been hung up.

A female worker said indignantly, “Hiding behind a mask and not daring to show their face—they must be government officials.”

Zhang Jun smiled to reassure everyone: “Don’t worry about it. Let’s keep playing cards. You haven’t paid your tribute to me yet—don’t think I forgot just because I was on the phone.” His words made everyone burst out laughing.

Before long, Zhang Jun received another call: “Zhang Jun, we’ve arranged for a car to pick you up at the scene. Please come over, sit down, have a cup of tea, and let’s have a good talk.”

At that time, Zhang Jun wasn’t entirely sure what “having tea” meant, but he felt a sense of unease. He knew that once he followed the other party away, it would be difficult to return to the scene quickly, and the protest action would likely be disrupted.

Upon hearing this, the female workers all tried to dissuade him: “Big Brother, you absolutely mustn’t go—don’t agree to what they’re asking!”

Zhang Jun urged everyone, “I will not attend the meeting. If anything should happen to me afterward, I hope you will continue the struggle and hold out until the critical date of October 23.” He realized that companies like Aoliwei had run out of options, and the standoff between the two sides had reached a fever pitch.

The harassing calls continued to come in. The caller suggested that Zhang Jun go to the Fushan District Federation of Trade Unions for a face-to-face meeting, hoping that Zhang Jun would do them a favor and give them a chance to talk.

The group discussed a course of action together. Among the six female worker representatives, Chu Shuang and Sun Qingying stepped forward and volunteered to go and negotiate on their behalf, merely as a temporary measure to buy time; even if the two were detained for an extended period, the impact on the overall strike situation would be limited, so everyone unanimously agreed to this plan.

About an hour after leaving, Chu Shuang and Sun Qingying returned safely to the site of the protest and recounted the details of their meeting to everyone. The two arrived at the Fushan District Federation of Trade Unions office, where several people were present. One of them asked right away, “Was it Zhang Jun who encouraged you to organize this protest?”

Chu Shuang bluntly retorted, “That’s not the case at all. Why don’t you go to the strike site yourselves to see what’s really going on? I’d like to ask: when Aoliwei Company failed to pay social security contributions for its employees and didn’t sign labor contracts in accordance with the law—and we were running around trying to defend our rights and file complaints—where were all of you then? Now you’re getting hung up on these irrelevant details!”

Chu Shuang’s blunt and direct response did not provoke the other party’s anger, and the staff member went on to ask whether the striking female workers had been in contact with anyone from outside the company.

At the time, Chu Shuang was unaware of the deeper implications behind the question and answered truthfully: “We do indeed maintain communication with the outside world. Zhang Jun is primarily responsible for liaising with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the media. You are more than welcome to go to the site and verify this with the striking female workers.”

The other party then asked a few vague and general questions before asking Chu Shuang and Sun Qingying to leave.

61. Although the All-China Federation of Trade Unions’ delegation to Yantai did not meet with the workers in person, its presence objectively put pressure on the employer and the local trade union federation, thereby supporting the female workers’ struggle.

Although the All-China Federation of Trade Unions’ working group’s visit did not go entirely as planned, it did objectively exert some pressure on local trade union federations and other relevant organizations. Specifically, beginning at noon on October 18, vehicles and staff from the Yantai Municipal Labor Bureau, the Yantai Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, as well as the Fushan District Labor Bureau and the Fushan District Federation of Trade Unions—representing both municipal and district levels—began arriving at the Aoliwei factory premises in succession to continue negotiations with Aoliwei regarding the formation of a labor union.

Witnessing this scene, one female worker couldn’t help but remark: “They act all high and mighty toward ordinary workers on a daily basis, yet they adopt a submissive attitude toward foreign-invested companies—why is it so difficult for workers to form a union?” Another female worker added that if the company were truly committed to promoting unionization, it could simply organize the workers to form a union directly, without having to wait for Aoliwei’s approval on every single matter.

At that moment, Yu Huifang relayed news from inside the factory grounds: government officials were trying to persuade the company to agree to form a labor union, but the company remained adamant and refused to budge.

Zhang Jun was well aware that the laid-off workers were under considerable pressure, and that local governments and enterprises were facing immense pressure as well.

Aoliwei held a series of internal meetings to discuss countermeasures until 6:00 p.m., when it finally made a commitment to the government officials present, stating that it would begin the process of forming a union in two and a half months.

When the news broke, the female workers didn’t take it seriously. Aoliwei had repeatedly broken its promises and had long since lost the workers’ trust.

In fact, the pressure facing Aoliwei Company is equally significant. On the one hand, there is pressure from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and local governments; although government departments have primarily relied on negotiation as a means of communication, Aoliwei Company is well aware that allowing relations with the government to become overly strained would not be a wise move. On the other hand, there is pressure from the female workers’ strike.The ongoing strike has already had a negative impact on Aoliwei’s reputation. During this period, the company has been unable to recruit new employees, and production capacity has not recovered. As the crucial inspection date of October 23 draws nearer, Aoliwei’s anxiety is becoming increasingly apparent.

This was also confirmed by information leaked from within the company by Yu Huifang: senior management is becoming increasingly concerned about the site visit scheduled for the 23rd.

That afternoon, Zhang Jun and the female workers were actually in a relaxed mood; they sat together playing cards, and the atmosphere was lighthearted.

62. Zhang Jun wrote a letter to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions detailing the full sequence of events, clarifying the facts, and explaining the female workers’ original intent in forming the union.

Zhang Jun wasted no time in sending an email to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, providing a systematic and comprehensive account of the entire incident. The email detailed the following:Since its establishment in Yantai, Aoliwei Company has long engaged in practices such as exploiting employees and carrying out large-scale illegal dismissals of female workers, while labor enforcement authorities have failed to effectively fulfill their duties; unable to bear the violation of their rights, the female workers sought to protect their legitimate rights and interests by forming a labor union, only to be obstructed by the company; efforts by higher-level labor unions to address the situation have been lackluster, and the company has repeatedly illegally dismissed worker representatives. Furthermore, enforcement officers from the Fushan District Labor Bureau have even publicly questioned the All-China Federation of Trade Unions’ professional judgment and unilaterally endorsed the company’s illegal dismissals.

The email also truthfully expressed doubts and views regarding why, after the All-China Federation of Trade Unions working group arrived in Yantai on the 18th, it chose to listen only to the local authorities’ account and ultimately failed to meet with worker representatives, in the hope that the situation could be rectified and the full truth restored.

63. Female Workers Braved the Rain to Stay on Strike; Their Tenacity Shook the Company

The sky was overcast on October 19, 2006. At 8:30 a.m., Zhang Jun, who had just finished his night shift, arrived at the entrance of Aoliwei Company. More than fifty female workers dressed in light blue work uniforms were already there, continuing their strike. Whenever job seekers approached, the workers would actively step forward to dissuade them, detailing Aoliwei Company’s various unreasonable practices; as a result, very few people were willing to take a job at the factory.

On the morning of October 19, neither government officials nor union representatives came to the company to discuss matters related to forming a union. At lunchtime, the female workers split into two groups and took turns: some went out to buy food, while the rest remained at the gate to explain the reasons for the strike to passersby, stating outright that Aoliwei Company disregarded workers’ rights.

That afternoon, a heavy rain began to fall. Zhang Jun urged the female workers to take shelter from the rain, but they refused to leave; their determined expressions made it clear that they were resolved to fight to the end.

The rain fell relentlessly, yet not a single female worker chose to step back. One of them handed Zhang Jun an umbrella, asking him and his family to use it to shelter from the rain, while she and her colleagues remained standing in the rain. When Zhang Jun tried to return the umbrella, the woman comforted him, saying, “Brother, you work so hard—you even have to work the night shift. Please take good care of yourself.” Liu Meizhen did not join Zhang Jun under the umbrella; instead, she chose to stand in the rain alongside her sisters.

In mid-October in Yantai, the sunny days were still crisp and clear, but temperatures plummeted after the rain. The rain soaked the female workers to the bone, and they were all shivering from the cold. One of the workers admitted that even if she caught a cold from getting drenched, she would still come to work the next day to stay on the job.

Seeing how determined everyone was, the security guard at the factory gate was deeply moved and invited the female workers into the guardhouse to shelter from the rain. The workers, worried they might cause trouble for the guard, politely declined his offer. The workers’ perseverance in the face of wind and rain deeply touched the company, so the company sent employee Lu Tingting to the main gate with an umbrella to speak with them. Lu Tingting began, “It’s raining so hard, and everyone is soaked to the bone. Why don’t you all come inside the office building to take shelter from the rain and wind for now?”

Wang Xinmei immediately asked, “Can all of us, including several worker representatives, go inside?”

Lu Tingting replied, “No, the boss specifically instructed that the six female workers leading the group are not allowed to enter the office building to take shelter from the rain…”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the female workers immediately voiced their refusal. They stated that, as fellow migrant workers, if the six of their coworkers were not allowed in, none of them would go in alone.

Wang Xinmei asked Lu Tingting to convey the following message to the company: “Please tell Aoliwei that our stance on forming a union is unwavering; unless the union is established, we will never give up our struggle.”

Deprived of resources and with no one to turn to, these female workers have no choice but to continue holding their ground in this tragic and heroic manner. While the relevant authorities are still engaged in repeated negotiations and mediation with the company, ordinary workers have no choice but to rely on themselves to fiercely defend their legitimate rights and interests in the face of adversity.

I’d like to recommend a WeChat public account that focuses on in-depth history.

Editor's WeChat

Weibo | Deep Dive Chronicles

Bilibili | In-Depth Chronicles

投稿｜[email protected]