When did you know having contracted the disease?
December 2000
December, in winter
Right
How did you notice it?
I felt pain in my chest
How long did it last?
For a couple of months, 2-3 months already
So I went to the People's hospital to do check-up
Considering my working conditions
and the long exposure to silica dust
the doctor suggested that...
he suspected that I've contracted silicosis
He advised me to take further exam at the City's Medical Center for Silicosis
After being diagnosed with silicosis,
did you stop working at once?
After the diagnosis I went back and talked to the factory manager
I said I had silicosis and needed rest
He said ¡¥No'
He did not allow you to take sick leave?
Yes
How did he say?
He said,
"It's only your claim to have disease."
And he said, "It wouldn't kill".
Don't you have the hospital's proof?
He said it didn't count
Only the one of Provincial Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Center that counts
Did you go for a check at the Center then?
Yes, the factory sent us to there
When?
20 something in December
Around 20 in December 2000
Right
How many victim workers were there?
Six
All from Perfect Gem Factory
All of silicosis?
Yes
We were the earliest discovery of silicosis victims
We were axed
What does it mean?
The factory said, "They claimed to be victimized by working here".
"They have no evidence and want to extort us".
So we were axed

* * * * * *

To prevent burglary of the gems,
1999
the factory closed all the windows
The boss said it was for prevention of burglary
So windows were all locked up
We voiced out our opinions
said this was hazardous to workers' health
But the boss and manager turned deaf to us
They ignored our persuasion
They locked up the windows
simply for their own interests
In 2000, in order to expand production
they set up a separated workshop
This workshop was blocked without any window
No dust-proofing equipment is installed
No dust-proofing equipment is installed
That year in December
we were diagnosed with silicosis
Given the infliction,
the Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Center of Guangdong Province
requested the factory to send us there for treatment
The treatment started
on 6 December 2000
We left the hospital on 3 Jan 2001
Then we received a notice from the factory
saying it would pay us on RMB601 basis
We disagreed with that
As a result, on 8 Jan 2001
they fired my wife
They dispelled us from the factory
We were inflicted with occupational disease
According to the laws
or any regulations
we should not be forced out from the factory
The boss was really unscrupulous
He dumped us
as we fell ill with the occupational disease
After being expelled from the factory
We asked the boss to borrow us money but he rejected
We were banished, all of us were banished
without a penny
We had no compensation at all until
...19 April 2001
The boss said the compensation was being processed
At that time
They compensated us 100,000 yuan
of which 10,000 yuan was given to the factory manager as a "fee"
We actually got 90,000 yuan in hands
We got the money and had to sign an agreement on 19 April
The boss said he would not give us money anymore after signing the agreement
and told us to go home straight
But we resisted
Our money was...
They did not give us the amount of compensation as promised
We didn't get the full payment, right?
They dragged us to the next day
and messed up the situation with the so-called "labour application"
They imposed us an order
said that they had given us compensation
They used this kind of iron-fisted exercise
to deter us...

* * * * * *

What is prototype? How to make that?
We made prototypes
upon receiving order
They provided us high-end raw materials
and we produced the ones like...
The boss allowed us to figure out the design
and told us to produce something pretty
while not to waste the materials
There were over 80 workers in the department
But only three of us were able to do prototype
So I was considered as a technician
Everyday...
Slowly... speak slowly
I worked 9 hours everyday
9 hours plus 2 and a half extra hours
only 1 day-off in a month
take 1 day rest only

* * * * * *

You should ask him
Yes, I asked "Why did you lay me off?
How did he explain?
He didn't explain anything
I said we were working well in the factory
But he said it's a work problem
I said, "I had been working for more than 3 years
For so long you didn't sack me
So why you fire me now without reason?"
"You needless to say anything," he said
"You needless to say anything"
He told me,
"go downstairs and get your pay"
Your boss kicked you out
Did many workers know about this?
Did they know you were sacked because of the illness?
Yes, they knew
Were they aware that they might also be infected?
Did they fear?
Silicosis cases also found in their department
We had 80 more cases in our department
All were kicked out
What does it mean?
All were fired
Ah, all of them?
Yes, 80 workers
All of the 80 ill workers were sacked?
Yes all of them were dismissed, kicked out
How many in total?
80
He did that
because I was found having contracted the disease
If more cases were found, he was liable to charge
So once our diseases were revealed,
they forced all of the 80 sick workers to leave
kicked out, you could not get back to the boss
not only you
but also the entire workers in the department
Yes, all of us
Those being hospitalized were also sacked

* * * * * *

So Yu Dashu and I went to seek help from the Labour Bureau
We told the Bureau we were forced out by the Perfect Gem Factory
But the Bureau not only rejected us
they even turned to beat us
They beat both of us
We had nobody to turn to
Such as today I went there
and said I was expelled by the Perfect Gem
They told me to come back in the afternoon
But when I got back in the afternoon they told me to come tomorrow
I went back the next day but they said ¡¥come afternoon' again
I run for 3 straight days
Without money in hand
we went out in the morning
and could not eat out for lunch
No money at all... we waited and waited
No penny in our pockets
We kept waiting for 3 days
We were too angry and went straight to the Bureau chief office
The chief instructed us to leave
and told they would deal with the issue
Once we left...the labour inspector...
A gang of them run towards us and beat us