Wuhan Huarun Group’s former employee, Tian Qihua, was abruptly dismissed eight years ago. He has been continuously petitioning for years, but the issue has not been resolved. In May 2024, he staged a rights protection demonstration on Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street in the Jianghan District wearing a mourning garment, singing “funeral songs” to the Communist Party, and was detained for 5 days for disturbing public order.
Tian Qihua, 62, from Tonghua Village, Qingshan District, Wuhan, used to work at Wuhan Iron and Steel Group (later restructured into Wuhan Huarun Group). He was dismissed in 2016 due to a labor dispute, just 8 years away from retirement.
For the past 8 years, he has been petitioning for his rights, but the issues have remained unresolved. On May 2, 2024, he appeared near the old Hengdali Clock and Watch Store on Jianghan Road in Qingshan District wearing mourning garb and displaying mourning papers to sing funeral songs to the Communist Party.
Around 5 p.m. that day, he was taken away by the police from the Qingshan Sub-bureau of the Wuhan Public Security Bureau, and subsequently administratively detained for 5 days.
Tian Qihua told a reporter, “I have prepared these rights protection materials, mourning garments, and mourning papers for years. Due to my introverted nature, I have never dared to publicly voice my rights until May 1st last year when I broke through my mental barrier and decided to take to the streets to protect my rights. I chose Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street because it is the most bustling and crowded place in Wuhan.”
He stated that rights protection is not his sole purpose because the Communist Party does not support justice. He hopes to express his political views, saying, “I hope to express my political views. To be honest, there are some things that cannot be expressed, such as the Labor Law for workers, and the lack of any fair and just words from any union regarding the harm suffered by Chinese workers.”
He also revealed his plan to speak about his political views at Wuhan University because there are many students there, and he hopes to engage in dialogue with them, helping them understand the current social situation in China and encouraging them to join the reformist movement.
In 1981, Tian Qihua joined Wuhan Iron and Steel Group, and in 2013, Wuhan Huarun Group acquired the real estate company of Wuhan Iron and Steel Group. At the end of July 2014, company leader Zhang Hui informed him of a transfer to a new position. Although the new position had heavier workload and a salary that was over three thousand yuan less than his previous income, he accepted without much thought.
Tian Qihua mentioned that he suffered from insomnia and had worked on a shift basis for a long time in his previous position. The new position was a fixed daytime shift, and he struggled to adjust his sleep schedule, leading to physical discomfort.
As a result, between July 2014 and March 2016, Tian Qihua had more than thirty discussions with Zhang Hui regarding a transfer or job change, but his requests were not taken seriously. He also communicated with the company’s responsible leaders three times, hoping for a solution, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Feeling helpless, Tian Qihua intended to use a “prompting negotiation” approach (a non-violent behavior). After the incident, he was accused of assault. After several discussions with company leaders, he apologized to Zhang Hui, who accepted it. However, on March 18, 2016, the company suddenly dismissed him. At that time, he was only 8 years away from retirement.
He mentioned that after losing his job, the economic woes, unpaid loans, company harassment, threats affecting family and friends, and experiencing various miserable situations like sleeping on the streets, made life unbearable. His dignity and integrity were lost.
After years of fruitless petitioning, feeling cornered, Tian Qihua resorted to wearing mourning garb and protesting on Jianghan Road on May 2, 2024. He aimed to let the Chinese people know that in today’s society, they should have a new mindset and try to change the status quo, ensuring that when workers encounter problems, they receive fair and just treatment.