Unionising foreign-invested firms a priority
China will step up efforts to unionise foreign-invested enterprises as a top union official has said that mainland workers' right to join a union should not be undermined by their bosses.
About 60 per cent of foreigninvested companies, or more than 51,000, have already set up union branches on the mainland, according to Sun Chunlan , a vice-chairwoman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
Of the companies with investment from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, 61.1 per cent, or a total of 45,277, have also set up union branches, she said.
The government-controlled union is aiming to push coverage to 70 per cent by next autumn, when a national congress of the federation is scheduled.
'Another goal, probably more aggressive, will be set by the delegates at the congress,' she said on the sidelines of the 17th National Congress.
The task of unionising the remaining foreign-invested companies would be at the top of the agenda, she said.
'The biggest obstacle to unionising the foreign companies is the bosses. Some foreign enterprises still lack a proper understanding of China's unions and don't like the idea of setting up unions here,' Ms Sun said.
'But those companies have to comply with the laws of the country when they set up their businesses here.'
Critics have said that China's aggressive approach to unionising foreign-invested companies was an attempt to counter the influence of the ever-increasing private business sector. But Ms Sun said their ambition was spurred by an increase in the number of disputes involving foreign companies as they hire more people in China.
Labour groups have criticised China's unions, which are not allowed to be independent from the federation, for favouring businessmen rather than protecting the rights of workers, who sometimes fall prey to late payments and a lack of proper social security.
Ms Sun boasted of the federation's success in pushing retail giant Wal-Mart, which does not recognise unions, to unionise its mainland branches. She said the federation would follow the same strategy to unionise the rest of the mainland's foreign-invested companies.
'In the past, we only talked to the bosses. Now, we also approach the workers,' she said. 'Do we need the bosses' permission to set up unions in China? No. The workers have the right to join a union voluntarily. We are promoting among the workers that it's their right to join a union.'
Since its first union was established at a store in Quanzhou , Fujian , last year, Wal-Mart has now unionised 77 of its 84 mainland stores, Ms Sun said.
More than 17,000, or 45 per cent, of the hypermarket chain's mainland employees, are union members.
'Now a lot other foreign companies, such as Foxconn and Carrefour have followed suit,' she said.
Currently 73.6 per cent of the workers in China, or 170 million, are members of the federation. It expects an intake of 19 million members this year. By autumn next year, the total membership is expected to swell to 200 million.
