Bus Drivers in Zoucheng, Shandong, Strike Over Unpaid Wages, Government Shirks Responsibility

On January 1, 2025, hundreds of bus and school bus drivers in Zoucheng, Shandong, staged a collective strike to protest against Zoucheng Guoyun Bus Company’s failure to pay wages and overdue social security contributions. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On January 1 this year, hundreds of bus and school bus drivers from Zoucheng Guoyun Bus Company in Jining, Shandong, went on strike, demanding the company pay their overdue wages from the past eight months and settle several years of unpaid social security contributions.

Zoucheng Guoyun Bus Company is a subsidiary of Zhengfang Industrial Co., Ltd., which is under the ownership of Zoucheng City Investment Holdings Group. The sole investor of this group is the Zoucheng Finance Bureau. A fundraising prospectus issued by the group in April 2023 revealed that it had been owed a massive debt of 6.2 billion yuan by its sole investor, the Zoucheng Finance Bureau, for years.

This suggests that the financial issues of the Zoucheng Finance Bureau may be the primary reason why Guoyun bus drivers have not been paid for eight months, ultimately leading to the strike.

During the strike, I called the Zoucheng City Labor Inspection Office to ask whether they had coordinated negotiations between the company and the labor union. Shockingly, a labor inspection officer told me they were still "waiting for instructions" and would not intervene until they received official notice. When I inquired why the labor inspectors had failed to fulfill their legal duty to investigate the wage arrears over the past eight months, I was simply told to "ask the relevant departments."

It appears that a company has violated labor laws by withholding eight months' wages from its employees, yet the labor inspection authorities do not see themselves as part of the solution.

A staff member from the Labor Relations Department of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau in Zoucheng City views labor relations as a macro-level issue. This implies that disputes between employers and employees are considered micro-level issues, and therefore, the Labor Relations Department feels no need to intervene.

I called the national public transport IC card service center to ask if the wage arrears affecting drivers had any impact on the service department. The employee seemed apprehensive and hesitant to respond.

When I approached the labor union, the staff either advised me to follow formal procedures or suggested I contact a specific department within the union that handles detailed classifications. In any case, the department that answered the phone was never the one responsible for addressing my concerns.

Interestingly, a staff member from the Jining City Federation of Trade Unions noticed my Beijing accent and seemed unsure of how to respond to my inquiries.

This situation evoked a sense of sympathy for grassroots union workers and heightened my concerns about the challenges of union reform.

The fact that hearing a Beijing accent left them at a loss suggests a broader issue of reluctance to speak the truth when problems arise. This reluctance likely stems from a fear that honesty might upset their superiors. The tendency to avoid the truth in difficult situations may have become a standard practice among unions at all levels.

If this is indeed the case, what is there to discuss regarding union reform? We could simply find a few skilled writers to regularly produce reports that mislead higher-level unions, which in turn could mislead the next level up, until the All-China Federation of Trade Unions deceives the Central Committee of the Communist Party, claiming that union reform has been fully achieved. Wouldn’t that suffice?

As for the illegal violations of workers' rights, with strikes and road blockages occurring everywhere, what relevance does that have to our union?

The Jining City Federation of Trade Unions previously released a statement indicating that the Seventh Inspection Team of the Jining Municipal Committee primarily addresses issues related to the leadership team and its members of the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, as well as other cadres managed by the Municipal Committee and the main responsible individuals at the next level, including those who have retired or been reassigned.

I contacted the Seventh Inspection Team, but the staff member initially resisted, asserting that the authority of the Jining Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection did not extend to inspections in Zoucheng City, and recommended that I report my concerns to the Zoucheng City Petition Office instead.

I then quoted the relevant sections from the Jining City Federation of Trade Unions' announcement about the Seventh Inspection Team, which stated that they handle issues concerning the main responsible persons at the next level of the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions. This prompted me to insist on reporting to the Seventh Inspection Team of the Jining Municipal Committee, leading her to relent and agree to document my concerns instead of insisting I go to the Zoucheng City Petition Office.

Now, if I were a driver for Guoyun Public Transport who had not received my wages and was unaware of the Jining City Federation of Trade Unions' announcement regarding the Seventh Inspection Team, would I still be motivated to report the issue? Likely not. What would I do in that case? Naturally, I would go on strike.

It appears that the inspection team prefers to avoid complications. They tend to sidestep significant issues, often merely going through the motions, making it easier for both themselves and others. Why go through all that?

On February 19 this year, the 5th Inspection Team of the Jining Municipal Committee announced that it would conduct an inspection of the Municipal Finance Bureau from February to May. The focus of the inspection includes whether there are issues related to 'only considering the interests of one's own department and unit while neglecting the broader context,' whether there are problems of 'ineffective supervision and inadequate service performance' during the public resource transaction process, and whether there are issues such as 'departmental protectionism, outward compliance but inward noncompliance, deviating from the overall layout, acting independently, executing agreeable matters while ignoring disagreeable ones, and selective execution.' 

This raises the question: does the Finance Bureau of Zoucheng City, a subordinate unit of the Jining Municipal Finance Bureau, face these issues, which have led to significant debts owed to Chengzi Holdings Group? This situation has resulted in the drivers of Guoyun Public Transport, a subsidiary of Chengzi Holdings Group, being owed eight months of wages, ultimately leading to a strike. Is the 5th Inspection Team of the Jining Municipal Committee prepared to investigate and hold those responsible accountable? 

Please listen to my investigative interview regarding the strike incident involving Guoyun Public Transport drivers in Zoucheng City, Shandong Province, who have been owed wages for eight months.

(Adapted from Radio Free Asia)