Reports continue of poor working conditions, including the denial of basic trade union rights and freedom of association in Chinese-owned enterprises, including major state- owned companies. This is of particular concern in the extractive industry and large construction projects in countries in Africa but also in the Middle East. Chinese workers who complain of poor conditions have faced repercussions on their return to China.
In March, around 100 Chinese construction workers protested at the Guangzhou airport after arriving home from Libya. The workers had returned to China on chartered flights from Libya, but refused to leave the airport for fear that their wages would not be paid. The workers said the employer - Hunan Tianying Construction Co. Ltd. - based in central Hunan Province had withheld 15,000 Yuan (about 2,282 U.S. dollars) of salary per worker for their work in Libya. After securing agreements over payments, the workers agreed to leave.