Labor policies of the People's Republic of China

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ICFTU Protests over arrest and sentencing of independent Chinese trade unionists
ICFTU Online..., 4 February 1999. The ICFTU is protesting to the Chinese authorities and will raise the question of China's human and trade union rights record at the United Nations over the recent arrest and sentencing of four labour rights campaigners.
Chinese accession to WTO must be accompanied by progress on core labour standards says world union
ICFTU Online..., 16 November 1999. China's record of violations of its workers' most basic human rights is already causing grave problems for its trading partners—particularly for other developing countries, which are finding it impossible to compete with China's exports.
China agrees to cooperate with ILO on promoting labor rights
AFP, 17 May 2001. The agreement will launch a program of cooperation between China's ministry of labor and social security and the ILO. These will include activities to raise public awareness about international labor standards, to design job training programs and strengthen the unemployment benefit system.
China to Revise Law on Trade Unions
Xinhua, 22 August 2001. The upcoming legislative session will examine 6 draft laws, including draft amendments to the trade unions law. The boom of the private sector in the past decade has changed labor relations and given rise to gievances. So the draft amendments make it mandatory for enterprises with 25 employees or more to set up a trade union to make representations with employers to satisfy grievances.
Independent labour leader feared critically ill or killed in custody; ICFTU lodges complaint with ILO against China
ICFTU OnLine..., 28 March 2002. As workers' protests spread through China's North-Eastern provinces, the ICFTU fears for the physical safety of several independent labour leaders arrested over the last two weeks. Repressive measures taken by the authorities against independent workers' movements in the last four weeks in Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Sichuan; the arrest of a dozen strikers in Sichuan.
Pay rise boost for public servants
China Daily, 13 May 2002. The third time the government has raised the wages of public servants since 2000. This considered good news for China's consumer goods market, a key engine for the country's economic development.
China Issues New Rules to Protect Workers' Health
Xinhua 20 May 2002. The new regulation is to reduce the increasing number of diseases brought about by poisonous materials in the work place. The regulation ensures workers' right to have complete understanding of the dangers of their work and any employers found violating these rights will be severely punished. Also, employers are required to provide safety conditions and necessary equipment to guarantee the safety to their workers.
China's Pension System Working Well
Xinhua, 28 May 2002. The granting of pensions to retired workers and basic allowances to laid-off workers is going on smoothly. Up to 99.9 percent of laid-off workers in re-employment centers have been granted basic allowances.