Shanghai: Around one thousand workers from Jiangsu East Heavy Industry (JES) started a protest yesterday due to salary payments being six months in arrears.
The workers blocked several main highways and the Yangtze River Bridge in Jingjiang city of Jiangsu province which caused massive traffic congestion in the region. Hundreds of police officers rushed to the scene to maintain order, managing to restore traffic back to normal in about one hour.
The workers revealed that JES hasn’t paid their salaries since May this year, despite requesting payment several times from the company. However they claim the company's response was “either wait or quit” but with Chinese New Year approaching, many workers don’t even have enough money to go home which has left them no choice but to start a protest.
A spokesperson for JES management told SinoShip News, the striking workers were sourced from a third party and it is the third party which hasn't paid the workers. They also said it was a normal practice for such third party providers to pay workers in arrears to ensure that workers don't leave their yard positions abruptly. JES management is at the yard today to speak with the unsettled workers to understand the issue. [11/12/12]
