Workers and government should stand together on wages
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The qualities and abilities of trade union leaders also need to be improved, since some representatives lack experience in collective bargaining. Business representatives, especially those belonging to small industrial enterprises that operate below the county level, are often an obstacle to the work.
To legally push the enterprises to carry out collective bargaining for wages and establish a cooperative relationship between management and labor, the ACFTU intends, first of all, to strengthen its organizational leadership.
The ACFTU will establish special groups to focus on this issue and make it a highlight of its leadership.
It will also focus on non-State-owned enterprises, and especially on collective bargaining in industries that have many small- and medium-sized enterprises and are often labor-intensive.
It will push the top 500 enterprises in China to establish collective bargaining, and further drive to expand the coverage and quality of collective bargaining.
The ACFTU and local trade unions will train the bargaining representatives by turns, improve their bargaining abilities and professional skills and create favorable conditions for enterprises to carry out collective bargaining.
The ACFTU will also improve its local organizations, participate in making up labor standards to provide necessary support for collective bargaining, as well as promoting collective bargaining via the media.
In addition, the AFCTU will push for legislation on issues such as wages regulation, strengthen the law on collective bargaining for wages, and press the government to intensify control over wage distribution.
The ACFTU is seeking adjustments in the minimum wage standard, stronger supervision over law enforcement, and to create a legal policy environment for collective bargaining which strengthens both China's workers and businesses.
The author is vice-chairperson of All-China Federation of Trade Unions. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
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