Shanghai Auto Workers Block Highway in Layoffs Protest

Hundreds of employees at Shanghai Guoli Automotive Leather Decoration Co. staged a protest by blocking a major highway in the city to oppose planned mass layoffs. The protest escalated into clashes with police on the Husong Highway, with social media videos capturing the tense standoff. At least one worker was detained by authorities, leading to heightened tensions.

The protests erupted after the company issued notices on October 9, offering a severance package of three months’ minimum wage, which many workers criticized as inadequate. Social media reactions from individuals claiming to be employees suggested that the ‘voluntary resignations’ were coerced. The state-owned company described the offer as ‘generous’, as reported by citizen journalist ‘Mr Li is not your teacher’ on platform X.

This conflict is reflective of a broader trend of labor unrest in China, where the post-lockdown economy is struggling. A report from Freedom House noted a 27 percent increase in dissent events over a recent quarter. The China Dissent Monitor highlighted a rise in protests, with calls for government intervention in many cases. These labor disputes are exacerbated by long working hours, low pay, and a lack of formal mechanisms to address grievances, leaving many workers feeling disenfranchised.

(With inputs from agencies.)