In late May, workers transporting liquefied gas in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, initiated a large-scale strike due to dissatisfaction with industry monopolization leading to a significant decrease in income. This strike resulted in many users being unable to access gas. Local government officials, concerned about the escalating situation being difficult to control, had no choice but to compromise. The 3-day strike ended with a victory for the workers.
On May 11, in Furong District of Changsha, several gas delivery workers clashed with Meiqiduo Gas Company, which then escalated and became the catalyst for the strike on May 20 by liquefied gas transport workers. From the 20th to the 23rd of May, nearly a thousand transport workers blocked deliveries at various Meiqiduo Company sites. Many workers were arrested during this process. Due to the shortage of gas, many residents and businesses were unable to cook and operate, leading to a flood of complaints to the mayor’s hotline. Ultimately, the government had to promise that Meiqiduo Company would temporarily not interfere with deliveries, allowing transport workers to continue cooperating with gas distribution stations as before. The workers’ demands were met, the strike ended, and gas deliveries resumed to normalcy.
According to interviews conducted by Da Ji Yuan reporters with local workers, the situation was further unveiled. Changsha, as the provincial capital of Hunan, had extensive gas pipeline networks established as early as 2005. However, residents in some remote areas, as well as hotels and vendors, still relied on liquefied gas tanks. In the past, there were 10 liquefied gas tank transport companies in the Changsha area. Workers signed contracts with these companies to earn 20 yuan per delivery, with workers responsible for their own transportation equipment. But in January of this year, the Hunan Xiangjiang New District government undertook a comprehensive rectification of the bottled liquefied gas industry.
As a result, the 10 companies merged voluntarily and formed the Changsha Hongye Gas Co., Ltd., with Meiqiduo Company designated as the sole distribution company. Huang Yao, a gas delivery worker from Huanghua Town in Changsha County, revealed that he has been in this industry for seven to eight years. He explained that previously, the delivery fee for a gas tank was a fixed rate of 20 yuan, but after Meiqiduo Company’s intervention, the fee dropped to 11 yuan per tank. Some workers with a large customer base could earn up to twenty to thirty thousand yuan per month, but for Huang Yao, whose primary job is not delivery, his monthly income from deliveries was around six to seven thousand yuan.
Many gas delivery workers had been in the industry for over a decade, investing hundreds of thousands of yuan, supporting their families solely through this work. Originally, the government mandated the use of small yellow cars for delivery, which workers had to purchase at their own expense, in addition to acquiring gas tanks and developing their own market. With Meiqiduo Company directly taking over their customer base and nearly halving the delivery fees, the workers had no choice but to resort to strike actions to defend their rights.
Although the workers were fighting for their rights, they were reluctant to confront government departments directly. Instead, they only obstructed Meiqiduo Company’s gas filling at the liquefied gas stations. Huang Yao mentioned, “There is a group for workers on social media platforms. When Meiqiduo’s delivery vehicles arrive somewhere, someone in the group would share the address, and everyone would go there to prevent Meiqiduo from supplying gas to businesses, demanding compensation for our losses.”
During the strike, many residents were unable to cook, and several restaurants suffered severe setbacks in business, resulting in numerous complaints to the municipal government. Due to the impact on people’s livelihoods, the government, concerned about the situation escalating, had no choice but to compromise with the liquefied gas stations. They promised that Meiqiduo Company would temporarily not enter the market for operations. If they were to re-enter in the future, negotiations would be held with the gas delivery workers. Consequently, the 3-day strike came to an end, and gas deliveries returned to normal.
Huang Yao expressed the frustrations of the workers, mentioning instances where police would surround and detain them during their rights protection activities, only to release them after intimidation. Feeling hopeless, the workers could only take one step at a time. Da Ji Yuan reporters attempted to contact Meiqiduo Company and the Changsha municipal government but were unsuccessful in reaching them.