Female sanitation workers safeguard legal rights

Two hundred and twenty sanitation workers went on a strike on August 21 at Guangdong University Town, 80 percent of them female. Most of them were locals who accepted the government's offer of alternative employment as sanitation workers so they would not have to leave their hometown, after they lost their farmland and homes. However, as the property management company broke the agreement, they may lose all their salaries and benefits accumulated for 8 or 9 years. Under the support of the union, they selected 18 representatives and 16 of them were female. After five rounds of negotiations, they reached an agreement with the property management company. This was a typical example of farmers who lost their land and temporary workers fighting for their rights. Instead of waiting for help, they fought for their rights and changed people's attitude towards grassroots female workers.