【英语中国】本田称罢工导致中国工厂停产

Honda has been forced to suspend operations at its China manufacturing plants, as a strike at a supplier factory ripples through the Japanese car maker’s supply chain.

More than 1,800 workers at a Honda transmission factory in Foshan, a manufacturing centre in southern Guangdong province, went on strike to demand higher wages. A company spokesperson confirmed that the industrial action has disrupted operations at car assembly plants in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, and Wuhan in central China.

The Foshan facility closed on May 24, with Honda’s three Chinese car factories following suit on Wednesday. According to the company, the stoppages could continue into next week pending a government-led effort to resolve the dispute.

While strikes are rare at high-profile multinational operations in China, foreign investors are under pressure to increase wages this year as the country’s manufacturing sector shakes off the worst-effects of the global financial crisis.

Jiangsu province began the trend in February when, after a two-year freeze, it raised the officially mandated monthly minimum wage 13 per cent to Rmb960 ($140). Honda’s employees in Foshan earn about Rmb1,500 per month and they are demanding an increase to Rmb2,000-2,500.

Honda has joint ventures with Hong Kong-listed Denway Motors, which is controlled by the Guangzhou municipal government, and state-owned Dongfeng Motor. Another Honda factory in Guangzhou produces Jazz sedans for export.

The Guangzhou government has proposed that investors swap their shares in Denway Motors for shares in Guangzhou Automobile, which also has a joint venture with Toyota. The transaction is expected to be approved by shareholders next month.

发生在中国一家零部件工厂的罢工事件已影响到本田(Honda)的供应链，迫使这家日本汽车制造商在中国的几家生产基地暂时停产。

在中国南部广东省的制造业中心佛山市，来自本田一家传动设备工厂的超过1800名工人此前举行了罢工，要求加薪。本田公司的一位发言人确认，这起罢工打乱了本田位于广州和武汉的汽车装备厂的正常运作。

该佛山工厂已于5月24日关闭，其它三家本田在华工厂周三也相继关闭。本田公司表示，停产可能会持续到下周，目前在等待政府出面解决纠纷。

虽然罢工在大型跨国公司在华企业里较为罕见，但是随着中国制造部门摆脱全球金融危机的严重影响，外国在华投资者们今年将面临加薪压力。

江苏省在2月份就开趋势之先。在被冻结两年后，该省每月最低工资上调13%至960元人民币（合140美元）。本田佛山工厂的工人月薪大约为1500元人民币，他们要求增加到2000至2500元人民币。

本田公司与广州市政府控股的香港上市公司骏威汽车(Denway Motors)，以及国有的东风汽车(Dongfeng Motor)分别建有合资公司。另一家位于广州的本田工厂负责生产出口车型Jazz。

广州市政府曾提议投资者将所持骏威汽车的股票置换广州汽车工业集团公司(Guangzhou Automobile)的股票。这笔交易有望于下月在股东大会上获得通过。后者与丰田公司(Toyota)拥有一家合资公司。