In mid-2010, a strike wave rolled through China's factories, the most widespread and militant struggle of China's internal migrant workers so far. The struggle shook the Chinese regime and provoked a world-wide debate: Is this the beginning of the end of the low-wage-model that stands behind China's rise to the "factory of the world" and provides the rest of the world with cheap consumer products? The strikes continued in 2011, and together with riots and peasant uprisings they are indicators for the increasing pressure for social change in China.
This talk/discussion (including a ten-minute film) will focus on the strikes, the formation of a new working class movement in China, and the implications for social struggles around the world.

Presentation by Ralf Ruckus, labour researcher/activist with a focus on the conditions and struggles of migrant workers in China (www.gongchao.org)