The Party and the governments at various levels have been very much concerned about the unemployment issue, said Zhang on Monday at a press conference held on the sidelines of the 16th CPC National Congress. He told reporters that the trade unions have been working painstakingly on helping the laid-off workers solve their problems.

The ACFTU makes regular surveys of the unemployment situation in China, participates in the central government's policy-making and supervises the implementation of these policies at various levels.

Thanks to their efforts, the trade unions in China have achieved three "1.5 million goals" in the past three years -- training 1.5 million laid-off workers, introducing 1.5 million laid-off workers to employment agencies and helping 1.5 million laid-off workers find new jobs. Besides, over the past five years, trade unions all over the country have created 650,000 jobs by opening the labor market for the unemployed and providing funding for those who start their own businesses.

In addition, the ACFTU has launched the "Helping Hand" program and established 200 helping centers in major cities, from where workers in straitened circumstances can get aid.

In addition, Zhang said, over the past few years, the ACFTU has safeguarded the legal rights and interests of employees and tried to improve workers' working conditions and living quality, including extending their paid off-days from 59 days to 114 days a year. And the system of workers' conference has have been established in more than 327,000 enterprises across the country.

At present, there are 31 trade union federations at provincial level, 10 industrial unions at national level and two trade union federations for employees of Party or government departments.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) was founded on May 1, 1925 and now it has a total membership of 130 million.

(china.org.cn by staff reporter Guo Xiaohong November 12, 2002)