Made in China

The camera tracks sideways along the back wall of a factory, revealing row upon row of labourers plugging away at their work stations. It would be an effectively simple opening shot — if it had only lasted for 20 or 30 seconds.

But the camera keeps panning, and the rows keep appearing. It’s endless, almost comical, and the viewer soon realizes this is no ordinary factory.

It’s a factory complex in Zangzhou, China. One of the buildings on the site is about 700 metres long — close to a kilometre. And the yellow-clad employees are among a workforce that can reach up to 21,000 during peak production periods.

“Manufacturing Landscapes,” directed by Jennifer Baichwal, is a documentary about Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, a collection of whose photographs were on view at The Rooms in St. John’s this spring.

Burtynsky travels the world to snap large-scale images of human-induced wonder — giant mountains of discarded tires and electronics, huge open-mine pits. His works are simultaneously awe-inspiring and terrifying.

But his images from China, and the accompanying documentary footage, are especially striking. It leaves one agog at the sheer ocean of humanity working together in one place, like ants on an ant hill.

Who are these workers, and what are their aspirations? How often do they leave the work camp to enjoy their individual lives? And how do they feel about being regularly scolded and lectured by team leaders during breaks?

It’s a kind of labour scene you’d imagine from pre-union times, when workers were paid a pittance and mercilessly pulled and pushed around by their supervisors.

There are few remnants of that era these days in western countries. Yes, there are non-unionized retailers and factories, but workers usually get a modicum of respect, and legislation ensures reasonable holidays and work hours.

It’s easy to become complacent and even cynical about labour organizations, especially when you focus only on current-day cadillac unions who extract cushy salaries and robust benefits for their members.

But the wolf is never far from the door. When profits start to sag, corporations head overseas for cheap labour, or gradually hack away at benefits. The days of the fixed pension, for example, are numbered. Most companies are now shedding that responsibility in favour of market-dependent retirement investments.

Do unions make people lazy? Sometimes. Do they demand too much? Occasionally.

But in this era of growing corporate avarice and right-wing ideology, it’s more important than ever to make sure safeguards are in place to protect the working masses.

In China, those factory workers are probably more fortunate than many of their compatriots. In other countries, working conditions can be much more abysmal.

In this part of the world, unions have brought an acceptable level of fairness and balance to the workplace. The pendulum may swing back and forth, but the principle of worker solidarity remains as intact and relevant as ever.

So, are unions a necessary evil?

You bet they are.

Have a happy Labour Day weekend.