Jilin Province Tonghua City Steelworkers in Large-Scale Violent Protest, General Manager Killed

By chinafreepress.org (translation)
Jul 25, 2009 – 4:04:17 AM

Boxun reports that on Friday July 24 approximately 30,000 Chinese steelworkers clashed with police in a protest over plans to merge their mill with another company and beat the company’s general manager to death.
Several hundred people were injured in the clash in the northeastern city of Tonghua.
Employees of Tonghua Iron and Steel Group object to plans for Jianlong Steel to take control of the company. Beijing-based Jianlong controlled the company temporarily last year, and employees blame Jianlong for financial problems suffered at the time.
Angry Tonghua employees attacked Jianlong general manager Chen Guojun during the protest and beat him to death.
Workers were angry that Chen was paid some 3 million yuan ($438,000) last year while some retirees received as little as 200 yuan ($29) a month.
Beijing is trying to streamline China’s sprawling steel industry, the world’s largest, by orchestrating a series of mergers aimed at creating globally competitive producers. The mergers often are accompanied by layoffs that sometimes spark complaints that workers receive too little severance pay.
Jianlong took over Tonghua last year but suffered losses after steel prices dropped and jettisoned the company. Jianlong revived the takeover plan this year after steel prices rebounded, making the business profitable again.
Full Chinese report: http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2009/07/200907251352.shtml