China — White Goods and the Capitalist Transformation

Abstract

China has developed at a dramatic pace since it began the transition to a market economy and the white goods sector, the products of which are to be seen in most homes in urban areas, was in the vanguard of this development. This chapter begins by outlining China’s recent economic development, the shift toward a market economy, the change in the employment system and the position of trade unions. It then considers the specific development of the white goods industry within this larger context, following which a case study is presented, ChinaCo, which provides a closer consideration of the effects of recent changes on workers in a foreign owned white goods factory.