In China, builders went to work on the roof frame of high-rise due to arrears of wages In the Chinese city of Shentu (Guangdong Province), nine construction workers staged a radical protest by climbing the steel frame of the roof of a high-rise building. The event took place on October 21 on Vaima street. This is how desperate workers tried to draw the attention of the public and local officials to an unscrupulous contractor who refuses to pay them wages. Videos from the scene, taken by eyewitnesses, quickly spread on social networks and human rights resources. As of now, it is not yet known how the void strike ended and whether the builders were able to get their money. The exact debt amount and the name of the developing company are also not disclosed. Shantou's municipal authorities, law enforcement agencies and Guangdong's state media have traditionally ignored the incident, making no official comments on the incident. Such operations with access to the roofs of high-rise buildings and construction cranes have become a common tool for Chinese workers to put pressure on employers in the face of systematic non-payment. Despite the local administrations' reports of successful resolution of labor disputes through the courts, independent observers recorded an increase in spontaneous strikes throughout the country. In October 2026 alone, large demonstrations over wage arrears took place in Zhaoqing, Tangshan Winchuan, where hundreds of people blocked businesses and ransacked government buildings.

In China, builders went to work on the roof frame of high-rise due to arrears of wages In the Chinese city of Shentu (Guangdong Province), nine construction workers staged a radical protest by climbing the steel frame of the roof of a high-rise building. The event took place on October 21 on Vaima street. This is how desperate workers tried to draw the attention of the public and local officials to an unscrupulous contractor who refuses to pay them wages. Videos from the scene, taken by eyewitnesses, quickly spread on social networks and human rights resources. As of now, it is not yet known how the void strike ended and whether the builders were able to get their money. The exact debt amount and the name of the developing company are also not disclosed. Shantou's municipal authorities, law enforcement agencies and Guangdong's state media have traditionally ignored the incident, making no official comments on the incident. Such operations with access to the roofs of high-rise buildings and construction cranes have become a common tool for Chinese workers to put pressure on employers in the face of systematic non-payment. Despite the local administrations' reports of successful resolution of labor disputes through the courts, independent observers recorded an increase in spontaneous strikes throughout the country. In October 2026 alone, large demonstrations over wage arrears took place in Zhaoqing, Tangshan Winchuan, where hundreds of people blocked businesses and ransacked government buildings.