Chinese Nokia workers protest at takeover deal

Reuters

Dongguan, China

Hundreds of workers massed outside a Nokia factory in southern China yesterday to protest against what they called unfair treatment following the sale of the company’s mobile phones business to Microsoft Corp.

Lack of trust in employers has often led Chinese workers to balk at takeovers they fear will worsen employment conditions, and the confrontation in the industrial city of Dongguan marked the latest incident in a wave of industrial unrest at Chinese affiliates of foreign manufacturing firms.    

Workers outside the factory gates said they were battling to change new contracts offering them worse employment terms that they said they had been forced to sign after the September deal between the US software giant and the Finnish handset maker.

“We will definitely continue to fight until we get what’s fair,” said Zhang, a young male worker who gave only his surname.

Riot police beat up four workers yesterday morning and took them away, several witnesses said.

But in emailed comments to Reuters, Nokia said interaction between protesters and police had been “restrained (and) peaceful”, adding it was continuing to talk to the protesters.