Li Qiang (; born 1972) is a
labor activist
A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official.
In some unions, the organizer's role is to recruit groups of workers under the organizing ...
who engages in protecting factory workers' rights in China. Li was born in
Zigong
Zigong ( zh, s=自贡 , ), formed by the merger of the two former towns of Ziliujing (Tzuliuching, literally "self-flow well") and Gongjing (Kungching, literally "offering well"), is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan, Southwestern China.
Demo ...
,
Sichuan Province
Sichuan is a Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capita ...
.
Biography
In October 2000, Li founded
China Labor Watch
China Labor Watch (CLW) is a U.S.-based non-profit organization founded in 2000 by labor activist Li Qiang. The organization focuses on investigating labor conditions affecting Chinese workers and raising awareness of labor rights issues. CLW co ...
, a New York-based independent
nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
organization. Through investigative reports and frequent press releases on labor news, this group provides the international community with an accurate picture of the labor situation in China and is frequently cited in international media. These investigations are conducted by Li's network of labor activists in China and advised by scholars, lawyers and activists around the world.
In addition to reporting on labor conditions in China, Li has created resources for workers, factory management and international brands. Both CLW and other labor organizations that Li helped to establish provide free legal advising and community training classes to workers in the
Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Referred to as the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in official documents, ...
region. These organizations also collaborate with brands to ensure implementation of
corporate responsibility
Corporate responsibility is a term which has come to characterize a family of professional disciplines intended to help a corporation stay competitive by maintaining accountability to its four main stakeholder groups: customers, employees, shareh ...
standards in corporate supply chains.
In 2004, Li Qiang taught as a visiting scholar at The Center for the Study of Human Rights at
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
. In 2009, he has been published in the ''
People's Daily
The ''People's Daily'' ( zh, s=人民日报, p=Rénmín Rìbào) is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It provides direct information on the policies and viewpoints of the CCP in multiple lan ...
'' and ''
Nanfeng Chuang'',
and quoted in a number of international media outlets.
References
Publications
Li Qiang 's Column and Commentary
Media interview
* Bloomberg
The Chinese Labor Activist Who Wants Ivanka Trump to 'Take Responsibility'* The Wire China
Who's Afraid of Li Qiang?* The Wall Street Journal
Labor Rights Group Keeps Focus on Worker Abuses* The New York Times
Questions for Li Qiang of China Labor Watch BY DAVID BARBOZA
External links
China Labor Watch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Qiang
Chinese trade unionists
Living people
Writers from Zigong
Educators from Sichuan
1972 births