Chinese workers seek rights in court, not unions

Workers in China have become more aware of their rights and willing to go to court to fight for them, but are still hampered by an official ban on independent unions, a labour activist said on Thursday. Publicity over the 2008 Labour Contract Law, which was opposed by some private business owners and foreign investors, is partly responsible for increased awareness, said Geoffrey Crothall, editor of China Labour Bulletin (CLB), which on Thursday released a survey of labour disputes in China. Local governments are also becoming somewhat more accommodating of workers' claims, although in some industries, particularly coal mining, they collude with bosses to stamp out worker action, he said.. "In general, the Chinese government is more conciliatory towards Chinese workers, but that's not to say that everything in the garden is rosy," Crothall told reporters.