November 16 – 17 2018
Location: Shenzhen
Participants: 5,000 workers
Biel Crystal, one of the largest suppliers of touchscreens to smartphone giants Apple and Samsung allegedly laid off more than 8,000 workers in November 2018. Since the start of the US-China trade war, Chinese coastal cities such as Shenzhen that are heavily reliant on manufacturing and export have taken the greatest hit. The company failed to reach an agreement with former employees and refused to meet their demands for workers compensation, which is mandated by the Labor Law.
Hundreds of workers protested outside at the company’s Huizhou factory gates on November 9, demanding to negotiate compensation packages with Biel Crystal. Some of the workers’ family members joined the protests. The South China Morning Post reported on November 16 that almost 10,000 people gathered outside the factory where they clashed with police.