The country's top trade union has called on all foreign
companies operating in China to establish union branches.
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) urged foreign
companies to follow the example of Wal-Mart, which has initiated a
process of setting up unions in all its stores throughout the
country.
At a pace of close to one a day, the US retail giant has
established union branches in all 62 of its China outlets, since
the first store was formed at Wal-Mart's Jinjiang, Fujian Province,
July 29.
The move was hailed as a "historic breakthrough" by the ACFTU,
with Wal-Mart finally giving up its passive resistance to trade
unions and agreeing to full co-operation in establishing branches
in its stores.
ACFTU Vice President Xu Deming called on unions to learn from
the experience and set up more branches in foreign companies,
especially those that rank in the top 500 list.
Notably, Xu slammed multinationals such as Foxconn, Kodak and
Dell for their long time refusal to allow the establishment of
trade unions, and called on unionists at all levels to make the
establishment of branches at those companies bases in China
"breakthrough goals."
Xu said resistance from foreign companies sprung from their lack
of understanding of the status and function of Chinese trade
unions, which they consider opponents.
"A trade union should unite and organize employees, boosting the
development of a company, guarding employees' rights and
maintaining harmony in the workplace," said Xu.
"Our experience with Wal-Mart shows that as long as foreign
companies' apprehension can be dispelled, they will support our
work and take a positive and active attitude."
Sixty percent of the more than 150,000 foreign invested
companies in the country are expected to have their own trade
unions by the end of this year, Xu predicted.
(China Daily October 14, 2006)