Labor standards and human rights: The case of Chinese workers under market socialism

Human rights literature ususally does not mention labor rights or, if a link is drawn on paper, the reference is normally to 'labor rights and human rights' - the underlying assumption being that labor rights are not subsumed under human rights. Evidence is presented in this article to show that labor rights are indeed a form of human rights and that more specific labor standards need to be created to ensure these rights. When reading the following description of Chinese labor conditions, it should be kept in mind that China is just one of many countries where workers' rights are subject to widespread abuse - and China is not the worst. This discussion is based on the cumulative knowledge gained from half a decade of research on industrial relations in China. The project has involved extensive Chinese-Language documentary research, annual trips to China to visit factories, forml and informal interviews with dozens of officials, managers, and workers, and a 1996 survey of 1531 staff and workers in fifty favories located in five cities throughout China.