Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – All China Federation of Trade Unions (Acftu), all too often supports the will of the employers against the workers.  In a statement issued by the China Labour Bullettin – a magazine dedicated to protecting worker’s rights - Cai Chongguoo, who fled China in the aftermath of Tiananmen square and who had tried to start up a free union movement launches his attack.

The ACFTU constitution clearly stipulates – says Cai - that it is led by the Party and that if enterprises have party organisations, their leaders or bosses are either Party officials within the enterprise or local Party officials. It is perfectly normal for the Party to require trade union leaders to do its bidding. A trade union boss  dare not disobey the Party's orders for fear of disciplinary action.

It is also a fact that the union has frequently sided with employers.  In June 2007, Lu Guorong, lost one of her fingers operating crude machinery at a small rural factory in Hebei.  Not only did the factory owner refuse to compensate her, he fired her two days after the accident because without her finger she could no longer operate the machinery.  Lu sought redress at the local labour bureau but in the arbitration hearing her official trade union representative appeared on behalf of the factory owner. On 16 November 2005 that when Ma Ruixing, an employee of the Dajianshan Forest Farm in Shanxi refused to accept an early retirement order, management cut his wages in half in a bid to force him to retire. Ma fought back and appealed to the local Labour Disputes Arbitration Committee but during the arbitration hearings the forest farm was represented by Ren Fuchang, the chairman of its trade union. 

On 14 December 2006, Chen Weiguang, deputy director of the Guangzhou People's Congress and chairman of the Guangzhou Federation of Trade Unions, told a reporter that according to a survey conducted by his federation, 65.9% of trade union chairmen in Guangzhou enterprises held two or more posts concurrently, and in non-state-owned enterprises the figure was 98.7%. A survey carried out by the Shenyang Federation of Trade Unions in 2005 revealed that in 98% of the city's enterprises and in 100% of its grassroots trade unions, the post of union chair was held by someone who was also a deputy secretary in the municipal party committee or who held a deputy position in the administration.

“These inter-connections are widespread – concludes Cai –  and they have ramifications in civil cases, and arbitrations, the union directors represent the interest of the employer and not that of the worker”.

He adds that this bureaucratic organisation is so vast s to impede any effective change that many single officials try to put in place in defence of the workers.