Tokyo: Workers at Honda Motors in China will continue to strike today and, according to trade union leaders, are unlikely to return to work any time soon.
Employees at Honda Auto Parts Manufacturing in Foshan, Guangdong province, probably won't reach agreement with the Japanese carmaker, said Wu Youhe, union chairman at the company.
The strike is a sign that the automakers in China can expect rising labour costs, Yasuhiro Matsumoto, an analyst at Shinsei Securitiesin Tokyo, said last week.
Trade unions and employers appear to be reporting a growing number of work stoppages in China, although there are no official numbers, according the International Labour Organisation in Beijing.
Developed market
"China is quickly turning into a developed market from an emerging market, and labour costs will rise fast," Matsumoto said, adding that companies that make cars "have no choice but to accept the cost and wage increases if they're to continue business in the market."
Honda closed four plants in China last week after 1,850 workers at the factory went on strike, demanding pay rises.
