Honda workers go on strike in China

Honda has had to halt production at its four Chinese car assembly factories, because of a strike over pay at one of its China-based parts plants. The Japanese company said talks were continuing to try to resolve the dispute at the parts facility in the southern city of Fushan.

The strike at the plant, which makes gearboxes and engine parts, started last week. Honda said it hoped to resume production as soon as possible. According to newspaper reports, the 1,900 staff at the parts facility want their monthly wages to be increased from 1,500 yuan ($220; £151) to 2,500 yuan.

"We are still trying to resolve the labour dispute with the help of the local government at the Fushan plant," said Honda's China spokesman Zhu Linjie.

Like most of the world's leading carmakers, Honda has enjoyed a big rise in sales in China. It sold 219,514 cars in China during the first four months of this year, up 39% on a year earlier. Honda runs three of its four car assembly factories in China as joint ventures with Chinese carmakers to supply the domestic market.

It has two factories in association with Guangzhou Automobile and one with Dongfeng Motor Corporation. Honda's fourth Chinese factory makes its Jazz small car model solely for export.