In the face of changing demographics, new rules areon the horizon to empower factory workers in disputes with employers in Guangdong, Emma Dai reports

For factory owners in Guangdong province, China's manufacturing hub, the latest attempt by authorities to address labor rights is nothing new. Since the Labor Contract Law took effect in 2008, giving workers a say in collective bargaining has been building. This time, however, it looks quite real.

"Workers already have a lot of welfare. I don't understand why Guangdong province has to implement the new labor regulation. This is very unfair to us manufacturers," said Edward Tsui Ping-kwong, vice-president of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong. Tsui's company, Shing Hing Industrial Ltd, produces a spectrum of screws, and targets automobile and aviation industries as major customers.