China's senior trade union leader Wei Jianxing emphasized at a high-level meeting that all trade unions are responsible for ensure all workers' legitimate rights.
Wei, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that the enforcement of the new trade unions law will facilitate trade unions to tackle employees' practical problems and encourage creativity and enthusiasm in the workplace.
Trade unions are responsible for helping establish and improve equal negotiation systems, collective contract systems and representative assemblies' systems in companies, said Wei, president of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
On the Fourth Executive Meeting of 13th All-China Federation of Trade Unions, he called for continued reforms to increase management transparency in state-owned companies.
Trade unions should establish an effective arbitration mechanism to help settle labor disputes, especially those related to collective labor disputes, he said.
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has a membership of 130 million. Wei urged the trade unions to make the utmost effort to absorb more members under their protection.
He said that the basic function of trade unions is to speak for workers when needed. At the present, assistance for laid-off workers should be on top agenda of the work of trade unions.
Wei called on trade unions to allocate unemployment insurance fund on time and to enlist those poverty-stricken workers into the minimum allowances system.
The union official said that as China's Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, is approaching, trade unions should go to visit workers’ families with difficulties in life.
(People's Daily January 14, 2002)
