TZMPAKAAU

CHINA HIT BY LABOR UNREST AS  GLOBAL SLOWDOWN BITES
(UCHINA YAKUMBWA NA MIGOMO YA WAFANYAKAZI,KUTOKANA NA HALI MBAYA YA UCHUMI WA DUNIA)

Beijing China

China's manufacturing heartland has been hit by large-scale strikes in recent weeks, as an increasingly demanding workforce faces off with employers struggling with high costs and falling exports.

Thousands of workers in factories in the southern province of Guangdong have gone on strike in recent days, protesting over low salaries, wage cuts or tough conditions, and triggering a strong police response and some clashes.

The unrest comes as China's exports and manufacturing activity weakens, hit by falling demand due to economic woes in Europe and the United States -- both crucial markets for the export-driven economy.

"When orders and profits decline and costs of business increase for manufacturers... their first instinct is to pass those costs on to the workers," said Geoffrey Crothall, editor of the China Labour Bulletin.

Sources:TZMPAKAAU, YAHOONEWS and CORFU