Lack of Employment regulations at the coal mine

The material covered thus far in the course has reshaped how I view the work conditions in China. The Chinese economic growth is directly affected by coal over half of China’s energy needs come from coal. Coal is building the future of China, passing laws for coal minor safety and coal mines will be one of the first major successes for Chinese workers. Miners should not be endangered in their work. However, in the rush to supply these needs the Chinese government and the coal industry has not regulated safety and provided adequate training to its workers. Instead, it is more accepted “under China’s authoritarian system, that superiors reward subordinates for strict compliance with targets set from above, like reducing mine disasters. Should one occur the incentive to hide it is often stronger than the reward for handling it well. A disaster on a bureaucrat’s watch is almost surely a blot on his career.” (LaFraniere)

In the case of the illegal mine in Zhonglou, 35 people died, it took three months before the information reached the news. Typically, the officials bury problems, rather than correcting the problems, because of not wanting a blot on their career. Local officials pretended to investigate [Zhonglou], then issued a false report. Journalists were bribed to stay silent.” (LaFraniere) Because of “the lack of a free press, independent trade unions, citizen watchdog groups and other checks on official power this makes cover-ups more possible, even though the internet now makes it harder to suppress information completely.” (LaFraniere) China in its rush to succeed and make goals has forgotten the worker. China’s death rate within the mines is 40 times higher that of the United States. (LaFraniere) Widows and those who lost relatives do not believe that the system provides justice for their dead relatives. And as long, as officials can find ways to hide tragedies they will. The system rewards compliance, but does not consider environmental concerns, adequate safety training of coal workers and mine owners, standardized wages, and long-term health of coal workers.

Chinese markets deregulated by the socialist market economy, provided the governments with quick growth potential but, little focus or direction. This lack of direction permeates throughout society as the market economy grows, without the state providing this regulation the Chinese people are left to suffer through difficult work conditions. If China was planning ahead, work conditions, and structured growth would be in place to insure a stable amount of growth within the economy. The health of the Chinese society and its environment would be increase because coal is an unrenewable source of energy.