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Pandemic Precarity: Labour Dispute Resolution for Overseas Chinese Workers during COVID-19

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2025

Ding Fei Open the ORCID record for Ding Fei [Opens in a new window]
Ding Fei*
Affiliation:
Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Email: dingfei@cornell.edu
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Abstract

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on labour governance and legal struggles faced by overseas Chinese workers. Drawing on migration studies and legal research, it explores the intersections of state, labour and law in the context of transnational mobility and dispute resolution. Through critical analysis of policy directives and court rulings, the paper highlights the Chinese government’s dual challenge in the wake of the pandemic: maintaining the continuity of overseas business operations to safeguard corporate profitability and China’s international image, while also protecting workers’ rights to uphold social stability. The findings reveal that overseas workers were at times overlooked in central government policy guidelines, despite facing unique legal, spatial and logistical challenges owing to the transnational and trans-jurisdictional nature of their employment. This lack of tailored policy attention has resulted in inconsistencies and disparities in how domestic courts adjudicate their legal claims. Gaps in overseas labour governance during times of crisis underscore the need for clearer legal stipulations and more inclusive judicial protections to address the complexities of transnational labour disputes under “Global China.”

摘要

摘要

本文探讨了新冠疫情对海外中国工人劳动治理与法律保护的影响。基于移民研究与法律研究的视角, 文章分析了跨国劳工流动与劳动争议背景下, 国家、工人与法律之间的相互作用。通过对疫情期间政策指令与法院判决的批判性分析, 文章指出, 中国政府在疫情中面临双重挑战: 一方面需要确保海外企业运营的连续性, 以维持企业利润和维护国家的国际形象; 另一方面则需保护工人的合法权益, 以保障社会稳定。然而, 研究发现, 由于海外工人的工作具有跨国性与跨司法辖区的特征, 他们在寻求法律保护过程中面临在司法、空间以及后勤方面的特殊挑战, 而中央政府的政策指引往往未能充分回应其独特处境。这种政策关注的缺失导致国内法院在审理相关案件时出现裁判标准不一、判决结果不均等问题。本研究指出, 在 “全球中国”背景下, 面对愈加复杂的跨国劳工争议, 需要更加明确的法律规范与更具包容性的司法保护机制, 以弥补危机时期海外劳动治理的制度空白。

Keywords

migrant labourlawsuitsdispute resolutionCOVID-19Global China跨国劳工法律诉讼争议解决新冠疫情全球中国

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Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , First View , pp. 1 - 17
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of SOAS University of London.

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