The explosion in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province is still being watched. Recently, Caijing reporters visited Kunshan and discovered some local “characteristic” investment promotion slogans. For example, “XX people welcome you to invest, the more you exploit, the more happy we are”; The people who come to help us invest are benefactors. To invest in our bosses is our loved ones. It is talented people who can open up investment opportunities, and it is sinners that affect the investment environment.” The objective of the rule of law environment is “how the boss feels relieved,” and the goal of the service environment. It is "how the boss is happy and how to do it." The goal of the humanistic environment is "how the boss can be comfortable."

From the “anti-exploitation” of many years ago to the “welcome exploitation” today, the change in official discourse is obviously easy to offend public sentiment. It is even questionable whether the local government and officials who used the banners were public servants or servants of capitalists.

After the Kunshan explosion accident, what the ** refers to is all about the questioning of local safety supervision. This kind of questioning, though most direct, may be too simple. Reflecting on the question of local governments in attracting investment, why would they show such a "bottomless gesture" as the bizarre slogan in the news, perhaps it will allow us to find some deeper reasons.

In recent years, China’s labor costs have increased at an average rate of 20%. In contrast, according to the statistics of the International Labor Organization, from the aspect of purchasing power parity, the monthly wage of Vietnamese workers is only 85 US dollars and the monthly wage of Indonesian workers is 148 US dollars. In the context of globalization, some low-end manufacturing companies processing in China are shifting their industries to neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Nike annual report shows that in 2001, China’s factory accounted for about 40% of the total footwear production, ranking first in the world. In 2005, this figure dropped to 36%, and in 2010 it further fell to 34%. In contrast, Nike's capacity in Southeast Asian countries has been advancing rapidly, from 13% in 2001 to 37% in 2010, replacing China's number one position. Similarly, Samsung is planning to transfer 80% of its mobile phone production to Vietnam.

On the one hand, the loss of the low-end industry, on the other hand, the domestic industrial upgrading and transformation has not been completed, and the dependence of the local government on labor-intensive low-end industry investment still exists. Even though the current assessment of local government performance, the weight of GDP growth is declining, and the simple economic development index is no longer the only criterion. However, for local governments, although the impact of GDP indicators and simple economic growth indicators is down, Now, what are the more important indicators, such as employment, people's livelihood, and environmental governance issues, which do not require “talking with money”? If there is no continuous investment, where does local fiscal revenue come from?

Kunshan is precisely a traditional manufacturing industry. As a labor-intensive industry, the manufacturing industry as a whole is facing the industrial transfer. In order to attract manufacturing companies to come and stay, Kunshan naturally has an incredible advertising campaign, and then proceeds. The safety regulations are ignored. Therefore, environmental pollution, ecological protection, labor rights protection, etc., must all give way to attracting investment, and must give way to investment companies. From the situation disclosed by the media, there are two phenomena that can explain this issue: First, many local enterprises that have environmental pollution and have the physical health damage to workers are all eliminated in the field or in Taiwan. The government strictly controls or does not Enterprises that are allowed to reopen will be invited by the local government in the name of attracting investment. Second, each time they encounter relevant supervision and inspection by the supervisory departments, these companies first think of not improving production, reducing hidden dangers, and strengthening labor security. How to pass through public relations successfully. The supervisory authorities also sympathetically cooperated and clearly found that the problem does not require the company to rectify, because they have long promised "how the boss how to do?" If the strict inspection, the boss can be happy? Do you not become a "sinner affecting the investment environment"?

On the other hand, when individual local governments at the expense of the environment and public health rights and interests come to realize their interest claims, the public does not have the ability to compete with them. The dust explosion at the Kunshan plant instantly took the lives of dozens of workers. Some people said: "So do not attach importance to dust, even if the explosion does not occur, the workers will get silicosis (a kind of pneumoconiosis) to die." This statement is not alarmist.

Kunshan is a gathering place for Taiwanese businessmen. The factory is the Taiwanese-funded enterprise. However, if these Taiwanese companies set up factories in Taiwan, they would not dare to indulge in dust problems. Taiwan’s struggle against pneumoconiosis does not begin with the “plans” or “plans” of the Taiwan authorities. In 1990, Sister Tian from Belgium went to Taiwan to establish the “Kingren Labor Safety and Health Service Center”, and “Jingren” meant “respect for people” and “the interest of capital in capital”. In the development process, "Jingren" assisted in the establishment of the "Working Injury Victims Association" and "Pneumoconiosis Patient Rights Promotion Association" in 1992. At the same time, Taiwan’s other non-governmental trade union organization, the Workers’ Legislative Action Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “CIO”), also raised the banner of struggle. The "Civil Affairs Committee" organizes "Spring Warriors" and "Autumn Fighters" each year. In 1995, the "Spring Warfare" organized by the "Civil Service Committee" counteracted "protection" and forced Taiwanese relevant departments to declare pneumoconiosis as a major injury and illness on that day. Coverage. Afterwards, “Jingren” also tirelessly reported problems to the “Labor Affairs Committee”, prompting the amendment of the “Laboratory Insurance Pneumoconiosis Criteria for Approval” and relaxing the validation criteria so that more workers were included in the scope of medical protection for pneumoconiosis and relaxed the disability payment standard for occupational disease patients. For the pneumoconiosis workers, obtain more compensation. These non-governmental organizations’ struggles for medical insurance and disability compensation have indirectly promoted the strict supervision of the law on related companies.

In contrast, in the words of some scholars, our industrial workers are still in the stage of “atomization and rights protection”. According to the follow-up survey conducted by two doctoral students of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong on pneumoconiosis workers in the Mainland, the pneumoconiosis workers’ legal approach to safeguarding their rights is not “cost-effective”—“The workers have experienced this series of legal rights defense procedures. In the past two to three years, the time and money spent are also very impressive. The employer hopes that this long judicial process will delay workers and even drag them to death, and will also put an end to the legal protection of workers." This is the disadvantage of worker atomization because the cost of independent rights protection is too high. Another disadvantage of independent rights protection is that workers mainly want to obtain more reasonable compensation from individuals, but they do not aim at improving the working conditions of the industry. Even some workers, after getting their own compensation, are afraid to influence their own work and find a job later, and are reluctant to face the media and the public.

Behind the dust explosion at the Kunshan plant may be just a microcosm of the "Made in China" living condition. Sudden death and chronic death, our workers' brothers should not only have the fate of two alternatives; but before realizing industrial upgrading, gradually improve the access standards for production safety and environmental protection, and try to improve product quality and added value. It may be a problem that some local governments need to solve.