Low pay, poor working conditions and abusive managers are well documented at many Chinese-owned enterprises in Vietnam, as are the strikes and protests staged by workers in response. Joe Buckley examines several recent such protests and suggests that these problems are not just confined to Chinese enterprises but are found across Vietnam, regardless of enterprise ownership.

Most trade union officials in Shandong understood that they had a responsibility to organize delivery workers but seemed unable to shake off their traditional shackles and find a way to cut through the red tape.