The article by Pun Ngai discusses the plight of workers in Chinese companies during the implementation of the dormitory labor system. The approach of the dormitory labor system is to provide residence for workers within the factory to provide a daily reproduction of labor (Ngai, 2007). Despite this, the dormitories were mostly a preserve for migrant women workers who were single and had no local or family connections. Some of the control measures that were employed by factories included assigning thugs to watch over women, and the thugs would accompany women workers to their homes during days off and holidays (Ngai, 2007). In some cases, the women would share beds, live in poorly sanitized conditions, and endure sexual abuse from contractors. The narration by Ngai on the plight of women in the dormitories is evident in the documentary, China Blue.
In China Blue, Jasmine, who is seventeen years old, leaves her rural village and goes to work in a blue jean factory in the city. While in the factory, she works from 8 AM to 2 AM and shares a room with twelve girls (Baumann, 2014). Her work responsibility includes removing lint from the denim jeans seams and snipping loose threads. The eagerness and expectations that Jasmine had when moving to the city for work to help her family quickly dissipate when she is confronted with the delay in payment by the factory and poor working conditions. The situation worsens when Mr. Lam, the owner of the factory, receives an order from a British buyer to deliver products (Baumann, 2014). The agreement that Mr. Lam has with the British buyer leads the factory to work under a very tight schedule, albeit at meager prices. Mr. Lam knows that for the deal to work, he will have to compensate the low prices he agreed with the British buyer through cutting the pay for his workers and to ensure that the workers work around the clock as well.
The documentary portrays a global economic situation that leaves Chinese factory owners with no other choice but to implement strict measures to meet the demands of buyers. It also shows the financial situation in rural China and how people moved to cities to empower themselves and assist their family members back at home (Baumann, 2014). This was the reason for Jasmine to move to the city and work in the blue jean factory. However, the working conditions, as revealed in the movie, shows some form of bias against women. Employees who fall asleep during work are fined, and any attempts to look for ways of remaining awake leads to fines as well (Baumann, 2014). This was the situation Jasmine and Li Peng faced when they were caught sneaking out of the factory to buy energy tea so that they do not fall asleep at work. Other workers had more drastic measures, such as clipping clothespins on their eyelids to ensure that they do not sleep (Baumann, 2014). The situation was made worse by the absence of recourse for the workers since workers’ strike was at the time banned in China.
In conclusion, Pun Ngai’s article previews the use of the dormitory labor system in China and the working conditions that workers faced in those factories. It also discusses the movement of labor from the rural areas to the city, and the competing demand for products by the international community, which place increased pressures on Chinese companies. The competition to provide for products to potential buyers meant that companies had to continue operations for longer hours. In China Blue, the documentary offers insight into how Jasmine and her friends lived in the blue jean factory and the working conditions that they faced. The documentary supports the claims made by Pun Ngai’s article on the unfavorable working conditions for women.