Conditions of Chromolithographic and Letterpress Workers, 1923. February 9. All chromolithographic and letterpress workers in Changsha announced that, starting at six o’clock on the afternoon of the 26th of last month, the printers had already begun to implement their demands ahead of schedule; with no one attending to their duties, more than ten printing shops throughout the city simultaneously ceased operations, and over a dozen newspapers also stopped publication at the same time. The conditions demanded by the workers were published in this newspaper’s news columns on the 23rd and 24th, totaling fourteen points.
Although these demands were directed specifically at the printing companies, the newspapers were also significantly affected indirectly. First, there were stipulations regarding the deadlines for submitting copy: Section A was to be delivered by ten o’clock in the morning, Section B containing domestic and foreign news by two o’clock in the afternoon, and the provincial news section by four o’clock in the afternoon. Second, it was requested that each typesetter receive a monthly wage of twelve yuan in addition to room and board; however, while the latter point might be negotiable, the former was deemed absolutely unacceptable.
Two days later, Mao Zedong from the Labor Union Department, together with Mr. Zhang Junping of this newspaper, intervened to mediate the dispute after lengthy deliberations. In the end, Mao only agreed to adjust the submission times to five o’clock in the afternoon for domestic and foreign news and nine o’clock in the evening for provincial news, refusing to budge on any other issues. Mr. Zhang then conveyed these revised terms to both the Printing Industry Association and the Press Federation. However, the Printing Industry Association insisted that since no concessions had been made, there was no basis for mediation. Similarly, the Press Federation argued that setting rigid deadlines for submissions contradicted journalistic principles—such a practice did not exist among international press organizations—and therefore could not be accepted. As a result, the mediation broke down, and the workers expressed their intention to negotiate separately with the press. Subsequently, representatives from the press, including Wu Ban Nong, Liu Zhu Ji, Zhang Pingzi, and others, joined forces with worker representatives like Sheng Shenping and Liu Xing to resume talks. The workers continued to insist on their original demands, which Wu and his colleagues reported back to the Press Federation. After deliberation, the federation decided to raise wages to ten yuan per month but remained firm in its refusal to impose fixed deadlines for manuscript delivery. Despite these efforts, the workers still showed no sign of compromise. Several days later, Mao Zedong once again took the initiative to mediate. In addition to those previously involved, this round included Zhang Hengfen and Zong Zhangpingzi from the press, Li Ying from the railway sector, Wang Fansheng from the machinery industry, and Zhu Pugu, Chen Heqing, and Liu Zi’an from the lithography trade. Representatives from thirteen printing companies (one from each firm) and thirteen representatives from the chromolithographic and letterpress workers’ union were invited to participate. An open negotiation session was held at the Provincial Education Association on the afternoon of the 9th. Zhang Shenxun was elected chairman, and Liu Weihan was appointed chief representative of the industry association.
Conditions of Chromolithographic and Letterpress Workers – Forty-Five

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Letterpress Workers’ Conditions: (1) For each major newspaper, one person is assigned per eight-page spread; for columns, fifty lines are taken as the standard, with line count determined by the space occupied by size-five type. If additional lines are needed, they should be set separately according to the same calculation. Once advertisements or various news items have been typeset and checked, they cannot be removed. However, if removal becomes necessary, an extra six cents per hundred characters will be charged. (2) The working hours of miscellaneous typesetting workers shall be limited to eight hours per day, excluding breaks at the beginning and end. Overtime work will be compensated at the daily rate plus meals, with three and a half hours considered as a full day’s work. (3) Each newspaper should advance its deadline for submitting local news content, setting the line limit for each contributor at 104 lines, calculated based on six-point type. (4) In addition to room and board, each typesetter shall receive a monthly salary of eleven yuan, calculated on a monthly basis. For periods shorter than ten days, payment will be prorated on a half-month basis; for longer than ten days, a full month’s pay will be provided. This provision does not apply in cases where a newspaper goes bankrupt or is shut down. (5) Miscellaneous typesetting workers will receive a monthly salary of nine yuan, with the supervisor’s pay doubled. (6) Payment for proofreading is set at one cent and forty fen per thousand characters, with blank spaces counted as characters. Half a cent will be added for large and small frames, border symbols, and double the fee for tables within the text. Pricing for English-language materials will be negotiated separately. Room and board are entirely the responsibility of the company. (7) Fifteen percent of the company’s profits will be distributed as bonuses to all workers, but only those who have worked for at least six months are eligible. (8) The working year for miscellaneous typesetting staff begins on the sixth day of the first lunar month and ends on the sixteenth day of the tenth lunar month. However, if special circumstances require work during this period, employees must be paid double wages. The new-moon and full-moon days are designated as rest days, and no deductions may be made from wages even if these fall on scheduled workdays requiring overtime compensation. (9) Within one year from the date of signing this agreement, no company shall recruit additional apprentices.

Lead-Printing Workers’ Conditions: (1) Packages of major newspapers: Two sheets per title, with a monthly flat rate of eleven yuan. Discounts are applied based on quantities ranging from one hundred to one thousand copies; beyond one thousand copies, pricing reverts to seventy percent of the standard rate. (2) Packages of smaller newspapers: One sheet per title, with a monthly flat rate of ten yuan. Discounts are offered for orders between one hundred and one thousand copies, after which the price drops to fifty percent of the regular rate. Any additional conditions can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. (3) Machine operators: Ten yuan per month. (4) Frame movers: Five yuan per month. (5) Regardless of whether work is contracted out, room and board remain the responsibility of the company. Apprenticeship and overtime arrangements shall follow the regulations governing letterpress operations.

Joint Conditions for Both Departments: (1) Every ten companies employing ten or more workers must establish a labor-management council consisting of ten members—one from each side—to regularly convene meetings and address issues related to wages, room and board, and other matters. Failure to comply will result in penalties imposed by the relevant authorities. However, this regulation does not apply to newspapers that cease operations.