70% target for unions in foreign companies

By Guan Xiaofeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-01-05 08:45

"Many of the foreign enterprises do not fully understand the role of China's trade unions," Wang said.

They not only safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers but also contribute to the enterprises' development and fulfil their production tasks, he pointed out.

"Trade unions can play a good role in building and ensuring harmony in enterprises," Wang said, saying some companies which were long opposed to unions have now changed their attitude.

Wang said unions in foreign enterprises have performed their duties.

For example, the Wal-Mart unions in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, succeeded in persuading the management to raise part-time workers' wages to 6 yuan (75 cents) per hour, above the lowest wage standard, 5.5 yuan (69 cents).

The stores also agreed to abolish the probation period for part-time workers.

The Wal-Mart union in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, successfully negotiated the right one day off a week.

Dong Yuguo, a spokesman for Wal-Mart (China), said: "The management and the trade union have been getting along with each other very well," Dong said.

"Our task is to raise workers' awareness and let them know that joining trade unions is the best way to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests," Wang said.

At the end of 2005, China had 1.174 million grass-root trade unions, with 151 million members.

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