Visiting labor leaders from the United States have ended years of mistrust of Chinese unions by forging cooperative ties with their Chinese counterparts.

Change to Win, America's second largest coalition of unions, and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) will work together to better ensure workers' rights in a global age, said Anna Burger, leading the first nationwide labor delegation to visit China.

Speaking Tuesday at a news briefing, Burger said this marked the first important step towards a bright future of cooperation between the two countries' unions.

Despite the differences in political systems, history and culture, the two countries' unions "share the same mission of representing the working people", she said, adding that discussions between the two sides had been "frank, open and exciting."

The chairwoman said that the visit was made possible by the common goal of safeguarding labor rights and that this type of visit would help the differing trade union systems better understand each other. She added that the globalization of capital would bring the two countries' unions closer together in improving the lives of the workers in their charge.

Future avenues of collaboration will the two union coalitions exchange information and strategies on how to negotiate with multinationals. She furthered pledged to address criticisms of China's draft labor rights law with the American Chamber. She defended China's right to insist foreign firms abide by this law since it looks out for the interests and rights of Chinese workers.

She also applauded the roles of Chinese trade unions and said they, like their counterparts in other countries, are striving to safeguard labor rights.

The labor representatives on Monday held a seminar with the ACFTU on collective bargaining with global corporations in Beijing after enjoying a three-day visit to Shanghai, where they met with port workers and employees of multinationals.

Before flying to China, James Hoffa, a member of the delegation and president of the Teamsters Union, told reporters that a dialogue must be fomented with the 100-million member ACFTU.

The view among analysts is that this visit could help dispel misconceptions some Americans have about China, such as blaming cheap Chinese exports for growing unemployment lines.
 
"It is a good beginning as the visit brings an end to the disengagement by labor groups. All the trade unions worldwide should unite and improve their ties," said Guan Huai, a professor at the Beijing-based Renmin University.

China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin met with the trade union leaders on Tuesday, and assured them of the Chinese government's full support for cooperation between trade unions in a time of economic globalization.

ACFTU President Wang Zhaoguo, who is also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, also met with the union leaders, demonstrating the importance placed in this exchange at the highest levels of government.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2007)