Workers Stand Up! Protests Across China as Workers Unite to Demand Wages and Resist Exploitation

On December 26, 2024, workers at the Guangxi Chongzuo Lee & Man Paper Mill, who had their wages withheld, displayed banners demanding their salaries. (Screenshot from X)

[People News] As the Chinese New Year approaches, it is once again the time of year when waves of wage protests and rights defense activities emerge across China. This year is no exception. Overseas observers have noted that these wage protests reflect worsening conditions under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Many have expressed solidarity with the protesting workers, encouraging them to stand up and resist: "Don't kneel; stand up!" and "One day, the Chinese people will rise and overthrow the evil CCP. Only by eliminating the CCP can the people have a way to live!"

On January 8, 2025, construction workers at Moon Island Longfor Paradise Walk in Changsha, Hunan, gathered to protest unpaid wages, creating a tense scene. The same day in Huanggang, Hubei, residents of the Jiahao New Harbor Bay community demonstrated at the entrance over parking fee disputes. Police ordered the residents to disperse immediately and threatened them with "consequences" if they refused. Defiant residents continued their protest, leading to a heated standoff. Video footage showed police driving vehicles toward groups of residents.

An X user, "Wen Qingtian," revealed three wage protest incidents on January 6, stating that: On January 3, 2025, farmers and workers in Liaoning gathered in front of a government building, pleading with officials to help retrieve their hard-earned wages. On December 26, 2024, workers at Guangxi Chongzuo Lee & Man Paper Mill displayed banners demanding their salaries. On January 1, 2025, workers in Liuzhou, Guangxi, climbed a crane tower to protest for their wages.

In Qianxi County, Tangshan City, Hebei Province, hundreds of workers from Jinxin New Energy Co., Ltd., recently staged a protest. These workers reported that they had not been paid for seven months. Unable to bear it any longer, they gathered at the county government office on January 6 to demand intervention. Workers also stated that the company, a glass manufacturing enterprise, not only withheld wages for seven months but had also failed to pay social insurance for two years. As a result, their families faced severe financial difficulties, forcing them to take to the streets. Protesters held banners reading, "Jinxin, pay us our hard-earned wages." During the protest, some workers clashed with police, and at least one individual was detained.

One worker posted on social media: "We haven’t been paid for months, and there’s no food at home. We had no choice but to go to the government office to demand answers." However, the local government has yet to respond publicly to the incident.

On January 7, construction workers from Nanyang Jian Kong Group’s Tanghe Jiangshan Hui project in Henan Province gathered once again to demand payment for wages that have been unpaid for three years. Previous attempts to retrieve their salaries had failed, leaving workers in dire straits.

The same day in Hefei, Anhui Province, workers gathered at Longfor Properties’ office in the Shushan High-Tech Zone, demanding a resolution for long-overdue wages.

Overseas observers have verified that wage arrears are a widespread issue in China. Some commented: "Every year in Dongguan around this time, you’ll see workers standing on rooftops demanding wages because their bosses have already fled."

"China’s economic system has collapsed! The people are destitute! Under CCP rule, conditions only worsen!"

"The ordinary people are truly poor! 80% of citizens earn less than 2,000 RMB per month and still have to support their families. Many are suffering! Prices are soaring, and they can’t afford food or drink. Children’s education is expensive, and healthcare for the elderly is costly. There’s no childcare support or proper retirement system—it all falls on middle-aged people struggling to support their families. Many young people are now afraid to marry or have children."

"The CCP forces people into desperation, then labels protesting citizens as troublemakers. When people go hungry, the CCP doesn’t care. When workers demand wages, it’s deemed ‘malicious,’ leading to police intervention. This absurd cycle of oppression and denial is their hallmark."

"The Communist Party knows nothing but seizing and exploiting people’s wealth. That’s all they’re capable of."