The legal rights of workers and employees are expected to be more
solidly protected following the recent amendment of the Law of the
People's Republic of China on Trade Union, which took effect on
October 27, the same day when it was passed.
The law, approved by the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, stipulates that all workers and employees are
authorized to join trade unions.
Organizations or individuals attempting to interfere with the act
of joining a trade union are forbidden.
Senior officials from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions
(ACFTU) said the law accentuates the outstanding function of trade
unions in protecting employees' rights.
"The second article of the law has clearly regulated that all the
unions in the interest of their members are authorized to protect
workers' legal rights," said Liu Heng, vice-chairman of ACFTU.
Liu said that the drop in the number of trade unions across the
nation and rampant infringement of workers' legal rights were
motivating factors behind the amendment.
"The situation was pressing and even now we are not satisfied,"
said Liu.
According to the senior official, many newly established private
and foreign enterprises refuse to establish trade unions inside
their organizations.
ACFTU statistics indicate that among China's 250 million workers,
only about 100 million now remain union members and the majority of
them work in State-owned enterprises.
"We encourage the development of private and foreign enterprises in
China, but at the same time, the owners of the enterprises should
be kind to employees and are forbidden to trespass workers' legal
rights," said Liu.
According to Liu, ACFTU's long-term aim is to establish trade
unions in every workplace.
Hu
Min, a member of the Standing Committee of the NPC, said the
related authorities and trade unions should pay more attention to
the situation of workers in non-State owned enterprises.
"Comparatively, the working conditions and social security are not
so ideal in some private, joint-owned and township enterprises," Hu
said.
"Overtime work frequently comes to workers, but they get no extra
pay, and what's more, some employers go too far by conducting body
searches of employees if they think their material has been
stolen," Hu said.
"Those workers are really the ones we should place priority on," Hu
said.
Li
Yining, an economist and NPC legislator, said that trade unions can
play a big role in combating growing unemployment after China's
entry into the World Trade Organization.
"After the accession, it is inevitable that the unemployment rate
will rise, and trade unions can play a big role in maintaining
social stability and creating new employment opportunities," said
the legislator.
(China
Daily November 5, 2001)