Zhejiang Chuangxin Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd., a state-owned enterprise, was recently accused by employees of arbitrarily changing its "two-day work, two-day rest" work system to "four-day work, two-day rest" starting in July, citing "cost reduction and efficiency improvement" as an excuse. The company also significantly shortened the day and night shift rotation. Another intern publicly reported that the company changed work schedules without obtaining employee consent or legal reporting, improperly terminated existing interns, and subsequently recruited new ones, suspected of seriously violating workers' legal rights.
Online reports indicate that this semiconductor manufacturing company in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan District plans to change its current two-day work, two-day rest schedule to a four-day work, two-day rest schedule starting in July. The company will also significantly shorten the day and night shift cycle, which previously rotated every two months, to every six days. Some employees have criticized this move, saying it will significantly increase labor intensity, reduce rest time, and affect health.
Mr. Li, an NGO worker in Shenzhen, Guangdong, said in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Wednesday (25th) that frequent shift work will seriously disrupt the biological rhythm: "Now we work four days and rest two days, which means four consecutive days of high-intensity work. How can we have time to recover?" He emphasized that Zhejiang Chuangxin clearly stipulated a standard working hours system in the labor contract, but now it is bypassing employee consultation and implementing disguised overtime, which is suspected of violating Article 36 of the "Labor Law" that the daily working hours shall not exceed eight hours and the weekly working hours shall not exceed 40 hours.
Interns report "unapproved class changes" and copyright infringement
An anonymous intern's complaint has recently circulated on social media, alleging that Zhejiang Chuangxin unilaterally changed its work hours without consultation or approval, severely infringing upon the legal rights of its employees. The letter specifically addresses the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, demanding a thorough investigation into whether the company violates the law. It also calls for re-signing labor contracts and re-paying social security contributions for interns whose six-month service period has expired.
Xue Jiancheng, a retired official from the human resources and social security system in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, also told this station that shift work is considered "special working hours" and must be approved and registered by the local human resources and social security bureau. If a company implements it without authorization, it will constitute an administrative violation. He criticized: "State-owned enterprises cannot ignore labor laws and regulations. Many companies are now using economic pressure or the international situation as an excuse to shift risks onto workers. This is extremely irresponsible behavior. If employees encounter such situations, they can directly complain to the relevant provincial departments."
In addition to the dispute over work hour adjustments, Zhejiang Chuangxin was also exposed for its "disposal" of interns who had completed their one-year internship. According to the report, the company refused to renew the labor contracts of interns whose service period had expired, and instead planned to recruit a new batch of interns to replace them. In response, Xue Jiancheng pointed out that if an intern continues to perform actual work duties for more than a year, the company may have established a de facto labor relationship. Dismissing interns without a contract and without paying social security would pose serious legal risks.
An employee of Zhejiang Chuangxin, who graduated last year and has been working there for a year, told this station: "I heard that we interns are going to be laid off. It's not my turn yet. This decision makes the former interns feel helpless."
Online platform users continue to expose labor issues
A well-known overseas X platform user, "Mr. Li is not Mr. Li," has long been concerned about labor rights issues in China. On Tuesday (the 24th), the account quoted a "netizen submission" and wrote, "State-owned enterprise Zhejiang Chuangxin Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd. will reduce costs and increase efficiency in July. The original two-day work and two-day rest shift will be changed to four-day work and two-day rest. The previous shift schedule was once every two months, but now it is switched to night shifts with four days of daytime work and two days of rest. However, the contract clearly states that these are standard working hours.
Furthermore, interns who have been in the program for a year will soon be dismissed, and the remaining positions will be filled by new interns."
Radio Free Asia called Zhejiang Chuangxin's headquarters, but the person who answered the phone declined to comment, simply saying, "I don't know, and I have no comment."
Public information shows that Zhejiang Chuangxin, established in November 2020, specializes in 12-inch CMOS integrated circuit manufacturing platforms. It has been awarded the title of "Specialized, Advanced, and Innovative" small and medium-sized enterprise and is a Zhejiang Provincial Technology Innovation Center. Despite its policy support and industry positioning, its employment practices have sparked controversy.
