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Published in:
Introduction: Journey to Resistance Read chapter Read first chapter

2020 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

2. Chinese Politics and the Decline of Labor

Author : Jake Lin

Published in: Chinese Politics and Labor Movements

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the history of Chinese labor movement from the appearance of the modern industrial class in the late nineteenth century to the post-socialist era. Before the market reform, Chinese workers enjoyed a privileged status in the Chinese political landscape, and played an active role in shaping the course of history, particularly during the revolutionary time in 1920s and the socialist experiment period. The post-socialist era, however, saw the decline of the working class with stagnant labor movement after waves of market reform presided over by the CCP state, such as the SOE privatization and joining the WTO to become the ‘sweatshop of the world’. The chapter finishes with a brief discussion about Chinese labor struggles in the context of global capitalism, suggesting that local labor issues ultimately require a holistic fix against the capitalist global production system.

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Metadata
Title
Chinese Politics and the Decline of Labor
Author
Jake Lin
Copyright Year
2020
Book
Chinese Politics and Labor Movements

Print ISBN: 978-3-030-23901-5

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-23902-2

Copyright Year: 2020

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23902-2_2