China’s challenge to labour law in both the global north and the global south

Abstract

China has a paradoxical place in contemporary labour law. At times it has been the bête noire of labour scholars, combining the worst excesses of raw capitalism with political authoritarianism; its workers abused, exploited and voiceless. Worse still, it has been accused of lowering working conditions internationally, through competitive pressures or even directly in its offshore employment practices. On the other hand, China stands out from many countries with declining labour market institutions by its recent vigorous pursuit of formalization, enforcement, and collective negotiation, apparently (as yet) without major adverse labour market consequences. Progressive labour law reform is a ma..