Hu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the working class has always been the principal force in China's reform and opening up drive, and modernization as well.

China must give full play to workers' role in order to smoothly carry out the new five-year plan, he said. Trade unions should encourage workers to offer suggestions for establishing and perfecting the modern corporate system in State-owned enterprises.

He said that trade unions should strengthen vocational training for workers to improve the overall quality of Chinese workers.

To better protect and develop workers' interests is the essential way to guide them to contribute to the implementation of the five-year plan, he said. Trade unions should offer more help to laid-off workers, workers from loss-making enterprises, retired workers and those senior model workers.

Hu said that trade unions should not only extend its membership among workers at State-owned enterprises but also among workers at non-State-owned businesses.

The basic principle that the Party must follow is to rely on the working class wholeheartedly. CPC committees and governments at various levels should not take the principle just as a slogan, but a rule they should abide by when making decisions, he stressed.

(People's Daily 12/14/2000)