The next China
As the supply of migrant labour dwindles, the workshop of the world is embarking on a migration of its own
THE angrier they become, the less intimidating they seem. The strikes, stoppages and suicides that have afflicted foreign factories on China's coast in recent months have shaken the popular image of the country's workers as docile, diligent and dirt cheap. America's biggest labour federation, the AFL-CIO, blames imports from China for displacing millions of Americans from their jobs. But in June its president applauded the “courageous young auto workers” who waged a successful strike at a Honda plant in Foshan demanding higher wages.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline "The next China"
From the July 31st 2010 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Briefing
America’s $61bn aid package buys Ukraine time
It must use it wisely
America is uniquely ill-suited to handle a falling population
Which is a worry, because much of it is already shrinking
Homeowners face a $25trn bill from climate change
Property, the world’s biggest asset class, is also its most vulnerable