Gewerkschaften in China und den USA an einem Wendepunkt der globalen neoliberalen Ökonomie

Abstract

The pattern of systematic labor degradation created by the global regime of neoliberalism has brought crisis to labor movements in both the U.s. and China. As predatory capital has advanced - supported for nearly 30 years to accumulate profit in a largely unregulated environment (China) or deregulating environment (US and EU) - the formal labor movement has responded weakly. But, quite unexpectedly, it can be argued trends within Chinese society are emerging that could counter the hegemony of foot-loose capital... while, by comparison, US workers are ever more unprotected and powerless. Chinese labor law, for example, is being systematically strengthened, and wage packets and social security benefits are rising (as compared, notably, to those of western industrial economies). This article will briefly examine the nature of both the US and Chinese labor movements during defining periods of the 1950s-70s, the 80s-90s and the current decade, drawing many frequently unrecognized - parallels.