China labour activists say facing unprecedented intimidation

Zeng Feiyang, director of the Guangdong Panyu Migrant Workers Center, talks on his phone during an interview in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, January 20, 2015. REUTERS/Alexandra Harney

GUANGZHOU (Reuters) - As China's economic growth slows, fuelling industrial unrest, independent labour advocates say they have never faced so much intimidation - and they expect it to get worse this year.

In coastal areas like Guangdong province in southern China, the slowdown and rising costs are forcing some factories to close or move inland, often without properly compensating workers.