Constrained Labour Agency and the Changing Regulatory Regime in China

Using the concept of 'constrained agency' introduced by Neil Coe and David Jordhus-Lier, this article attempts to evaluate the possibilities and constraints facing labour agency in the Pearl River Delta in China. By reviewing the social, economic and political background of the changing labour market and labour regulations in China, and through an intensive case study of a workers' strike and its consequences, the author argues that Chinese migrant workers have begun to challenge the state's regulatory regime on labour, which is based on individual rights. However, the introduction of a regulatory framework based on collective rights is being impeded by the party-state's manipulation of trade unions and the strong influence of global capital on local labour policy.