Hundreds of Retired Chinese Workers Protest Over Pensions and Health Benefits

More than 200 retired workers from a state-owned farm in northeastern China took to the streets last week, accusing their former employer of mishandling social security contributions for years—leaving them with meager pensions and inadequate health coverage.The protest, held on March 30 in Changling County in Jilin Province, marks the latest escalation in a long-running dispute involving hundreds of retirees of an agricultural state-owned enterprise (SOE). Workers say repeated complaints to local authorities have yielded no results, fueling growing frustration that has led to public protests.The dispute reflects broader concerns in China over the management of social welfare benefits, particularly within older SOEs navigating decades of policy changes.Retirees from the state-run farm say they have tried to resolve their complaints through official channels for months. Beginning in January, hundreds of workers repeatedly called government hotlines and petitioned multiple agencies, including the municipal government, the social security bureau, and the human resources department.One female retiree spoke to The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.“We called the complaint hotline every few days—hundreds of us did,” she said. “Officials said they were looking into it, but after two months, there’s been no progress, not even a formal response.”With negotiations stalled, video footage posted on X by YesterdayBigcat, an account tracking protests in China, shows approximately 200 retirees marching to the county social security office last week, demanding answers.The retiree described the protest as a last resort.“If we hadn’t suffered real harm, would we all be going to the government office like this?” she said.At the heart of the dispute is the allegation that the retirees’ social security contributions were improperly handled and possibly diverted.The Changling stud farm, established in 1958 as an SOE, once employed hundreds of people. Today, 785 registered workers remain entangled in unresolved pension and health care issues.Allegations of Misappropriated FundsAccording to the retiree, employees were told in 2007 that their contributions for the year, totaling about 3,062 yuan (US$420), would enroll them in the highest tier of urban employee social security.However, when workers began retiring, they discovered their benefits were far lower than expected.Workers who later checked their accounts found discrepancies. The retiree alleged that a significant portion of the contributions had been registered under the names of company executives rather than individual workers.“Workers’ money was used, but not in our names,” she said. “And they claim it was voluntary, although we never signed anything. They took our money and didn’t even apply the policies we were entitled to.”Workers also allege that their health insurance coverage was quietly downgraded.Instead of being enrolled in the urban employee medical insurance system—which typically reimburses 80 to 90 percent of medical costs—retirees say they were placed in a rural cooperative scheme with reimbursement rates as low as 30 to 40 percent.“We were employees of an SOE, but we’re treated like rural residents with the lowest level of coverage,” she said.She added that even these lower-tier contributions were made in workers’ names without their direct payment or consent, raising further questions about how funds were handled.Despite claiming financial constraints, the SOE in question continues to generate significant income, according to retirees.The retiree estimates that the farm manages thousands of acres of land and earns between 5 million and 6 million yuan (US$726,000–$871,000) annually from land leases alone. Land prices, she said, have risen sharply in recent years.“We asked for financial transparency, but they’ve never disclosed the accounts,” she said. “If they never used that money to pay our social security, where did it go?”Tensions have also surfaced in confrontations between retirees and current management.In videos originally posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, by an account based in Jilin Province named “wanshiruyiDC,” the farm’s current director appeared to distance himself from past practices, suggesting that alleged misconduct occurred under previous leadership.“You don’t trust the former directors, and you think all the money was embezzled,” the director told workers in one video. “But I’ve only been here for six months. How am I already responsible for these debts?”Negotiations have repeatedly broken down. Workers said in another video posted by the same account. The SOE’s managers and executives have cited policy documents but failed to offer concrete solutions.In the heated exchange, retirees challenged management over transparency, working hours, and the closure of the facility’s cafeteria.“If you say there’s money, why not spend it on basic things?” one worker asked on camera.For many retirees, the dispute is about their own survival.Among those protesting are workers who retired more than a decade ago, as well as others in their 50s who spent 30 or 40 years on the job but now receive minimal pensions.Local authorities have not released any public statement in response to the retirees’ allegations, and it remains unclear whether any formal investigation has been launched.The dispute over the retired workers’ pensions and benefits remains unresolved, according to the retiree who spoke with The Epoch Times.Li Jing and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.