The All-China Federation of Trade Unions wants to recruit more
than 10 million rural migrant workers as trade union members this
year, an official said yesterday.
"Only by absorbing more migrant workers into trade unions can we
better protect their rights and interests in a legal and orderly
way," said Chen Ruiguo, an official with the federation's
Grass-Roots Organization and Capacity Building Department.
Chen said that because trade unions had not been effective
enough in organizing, workers in certain areas had reacted to
violations of their labor rights in disorderly and radical
ways.
Chen said 41 million migrant workers had joined trade unions by
the end of last year, and that the federation's ultimate goal was
to attract "the largest number of migrant workers possible" into
trade unions.
To make trade unions more accessible to migrant workers, the
federation is planning to allow more flexibility in what
constitutes a union.
For instance, migrant workers working in small enterprises in
the same neighborhood can collectively form "street or community
trade unions". In the past, workers at each enterprise had to form
their own trade unions.
The federation has also simplified membership procedures, Chen
said.
For example, the changes make it easier for migrant workers to
transfer to unions at different locations using just a membership
card.
Under the old rules, workers would have to ask their former
employers to write letters of introduction for them before they
could join a new union.
Chen said the trade union federations in different places had
drawn up favorable policies to attract more migrant workers.
In some places, migrant workers can use their union cards to
receive discounts at chain shops, cinemas, parks, barbers' shops,
libraries, hospitals and aboard buses.
In the coastal city of Quanzhou, in east China's Fujian Province, migrant workers who stay in
the city during Spring Festival will receive free entry to its
parks and scenic spots.
They can also access legal advice to help them safeguard their
rights and interests, for example, in recovering delayed wages.
According to the federation, trade unions around the country had
established 3,856 legal aid organizations to help workers by the
end of 2005.
"The federation will spare no effort to protect the rights and
interests of migrant workers, who have become an important part of
the Chinese working class," Chen said.
According to statistics provided by the State Council last year,
there are more than 200 million rural migrant workers in China.
Most of them are employed in "tough industries", such as
construction, coalmining, shipbuilding and restaurants.
Chen said migrant workers were underrepresented in terms of
trade union membership, and still had a long way to go.
Chen said another major task for the federation this year is to
establish more trade unions in non-public enterprises.
Chen said some employers are reluctant to establish trade unions
in their enterprises because they begrudge having to spend money on
funding trade union activities, which is required by the Trade
Union Law.
"They have no excuses because they must abide by the law," Chen
said.
According to the latest statistics gathered by the federation,
China is home to 1.174 grassroots trade unions, with 151 million
members.
(China Daily February 2, 2007)