Play the role of trade unions in better promoting the development of my country’s human rights cause
Chen Gang
On February 25, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in the 37th collective study of the Political Bureau of the 19th Central Committee that we must unswervingly follow the path of human rights development in China, pay more attention to respecting and protecting human rights, and better promote the development of my country’s human rights cause. . The working class and the broad masses of the working people are the main force driving my country’s economic and social development, and safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests is part of the issue of respecting and protecting human rights. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized on various occasions such as group talks with members of the new leadership of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the National Model Worker and Advanced Worker Commendation Conference, and discussions with representatives of national model workers. Serving the masses of employees is the starting point and end point of all the work of the trade union, serving the masses of employees wholeheartedly; emphasizing the need to listen carefully to the voices of the masses of employees, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the masses of employees, including migrant workers, and do a solid job for the masses of employees. Practical facts and solving problems; Emphasize that the trade union must seize the most immediate and practical interests of the workers and the masses, and earnestly perform the basic duties of safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the workers and serving the workers wholeheartedly. Where the legitimate rights and interests of workers are violated, the trade union will Stand up and speak. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions provide fundamental compliance and action guidelines for doing a good job in trade union rights protection services in the new era.
Always hold high the banner of safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of employees
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that respecting and protecting human rights is the unremitting pursuit of Chinese Communists. Taking the people’s interests as the starting point and end point, continuously solving the most immediate and practical interests of the people, and striving to let the people live a happy life are the greatest human rights. From the day of its birth, under the leadership of the Party, the Chinese trade unions have regarded realizing and safeguarding the interests of employees as an important task, and have always been committed to realizing, maintaining and developing the legitimate rights and interests of the broad masses of employees. The history of China’s labor movement for nearly a hundred years has run through the unremitting efforts of Chinese labor unions to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of employees under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
period of the new democratic revolution.In August 1921, less than a month after the founding of the Communist Party of China, the first public organization of the party leading the labor movement, the Chinese Labor Combination Secretary Department, was established in Shanghai, and issued a manifesto emphasizing the need to improve the status of laborers. In 1925, the “General Regulations of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions” adopted by the Second National Labor Conference stipulated that one of the eight duties of the trade union was to protect the interests of workers, and to seek relief and job referrals. In May 1926, the Third National Labor Conference clearly stated that “trade unions are the economic organization of the workers” and that “workers must fight for economic issues. The development of economic struggles is the development of the Chinese workers’ movement.” Taking striving for and protecting the daily economic interests of workers as a necessary condition for developing trade union organizations and promoting the labor movement. The Sixth National Labor Conference held in August 1948 resumed the establishment of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and adopted the “Articles of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions”, with a clear purpose to unite the national workers and protect their interests. During this historical period, trade union organizations at all levels mobilized the workers and the masses to continue the upsurge of the labor movement, launched struggles for the right to subsistence in the Kuomintang-controlled areas, promoted the formulation of labor laws in the Soviet and liberated areas, and provided strict regulations on working hours, rest time, wages, labor security, social Insurance and other regulations have been made clear, which has greatly mobilized the enthusiasm and initiative of the broad masses of workers to join the party-led anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle.
The period of socialist revolution and construction.The founding of New China ushered in a new era in which the Chinese working class and working people were the masters of the country. The Trade Union Law of the People’s Republic of China promulgated in 1950 clearly stipulates that trade unions have the responsibility to protect the interests of workers and employees, supervise the implementation of administrative regulations, and improve various facilities for the material and cultural life of workers, employees and the masses. In the 1950s, it was proposed that the protection of workers’ material interests and democratic rights should be regarded as the unique role of trade union organizations, and the mediating role of trade unions in correctly handling internal conflicts of enterprises. During this period, the trade unions at all levels, in accordance with the central government’s requirement that “all work should focus on production and construction,” contacted and educated the workers, actively completed the national construction plan, and on the basis of developing production, by strengthening the conclusion of collective contracts, the The protection of the rights and interests of employees is integrated into the conclusion of the collective contract, and the purpose of safeguarding the specific interests of employees is achieved by safeguarding the overall interests, which effectively stimulates the lofty aspirations of the majority of workers to participate in political power and economic construction.
A new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization.After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, especially the development of the socialist market economy and the emergence of a large number of non-public economies, new changes have occurred in social and economic relations and labor relations. In 1983, the trade union charter adopted at the Tenth National Congress of the Trade Union made it clear that the work policy of the trade union in the new period is to focus on the construction of the four modernizations, to speak and act for the employees, and to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the employees. The 11th National Congress of the Trade Union in 1988 clarified the four social functions of trade union maintenance, construction, participation and education, which were written into the Trade Union Law of the People’s Republic of China. In 2001, the Trade Union Law was amended to clarify the basic duty of trade unions as “protecting the legitimate rights and interests of employees”. During this historical period, trade unions at all levels not only fully performed various social functions, but also highlighted their basic responsibilities, conscientiously implemented the trade union work policy of “being organized and earnestly safeguarding rights”, and established and implemented “employee-oriented, active and scientific rights protection in accordance with the law”. It adheres to the enterprise trade union work principle of “promoting enterprise development and safeguarding employees’ rights and interests”, comprehensively safeguards employees’ economic, political, cultural and social rights and interests, effectively resolves labor relations conflicts, and maintains harmony and stability between the workforce and the society.
New achievements in trade union rights protection services in the new era
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our party has insisted on respecting and protecting human rights as an important task in the governance of the country, and has promoted the cause of human rights in my country to achieve historic achievements, and the human rights of the Chinese people have been unprecedentedly guaranteed. Trade unions at all levels resolutely implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the work of the working class and trade unions, especially the important instructions on doing a good job in rights protection services, and regard the performance of basic rights protection services as an important focus of trade unions to promote the development of my country’s human rights cause, and strive to promote Solve the most direct and realistic interests of the workers and the masses.
Protect the labor economic rights and interests of employees.On October 23, 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in a collective conversation with the members of the 16th leading group of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions that in order to win the trust and support of the workers, the trade union must do a good job in safeguarding the vital interests of the workers and promote social fairness and justice. . Trade union rights protection must be comprehensive, but also key points. The key point is that the workers and workers are most concerned about the most immediate and realistic interests, the practical issues that the workers and workers face the most difficult, worry about and worry about. The living standards and quality of the masses have enabled them to continuously enjoy the fruits of reform and development. The labor economic rights and interests of employees are the most basic and realistic rights of employees. Trade unions at all levels promote the implementation of active employment policies, and continue to carry out activities such as the “National Trade Union Employment and Entrepreneurship Service Series Activities”, the “Sunshine Employment Warming Heart” campaign, and the “Most Beautiful Housekeeper” pushing trees to further improve the level of trade union employment and entrepreneurship services. In 2020 and 2021, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions will invest a total of 28.9512 million yuan in special funds to guide and support local trade unions to train 537,700 domestic workers. Intensify efforts to form labor unions for new employment forms and provide rights protection services, and implement the “key construction, industry construction, and bottom-line construction” model. By the end of 2021, there will be more than 3.5 million members of newly developed new employment forms nationwide, including truck drivers, Twelve leading companies in four key industries, including car-hailing drivers, couriers, and takeaway delivery workers, have established trade unions. Explore the establishment of a collective negotiation mechanism in the online distribution and express delivery industries, negotiate and formulate labor standards in related industries such as distribution unit price and labor protection, and provide legal assistance for workers whose rights and interests have been violated; establish driver’s homes and outdoor labor service sites. More than 95,000, with an investment of nearly 1.2 billion yuan; the “Labor Union Entering Ten Thousand Homes, New Employment Form Workers Warming Action” service month activity was launched to help them solve their urgent problems.
In order to solve the problem that sanitation workers have difficulty eating breakfast, Luoyang City, Henan Province provides free breakfast for front-line sanitation workers on the morning shift, and the cost is subsidized by labor unions, finance and sanitation enterprises in the counties (cities) and districts of Luoyang City. The picture shows that in the early morning of December 19, 2021, sanitation workers left after eating at the “Love Station” next to Mudan Avenue, Luolong District, Luoyang City.Xinhua News Agency Huang Zhengwei / Photo
Guarantee the democratic and political rights of employees.In 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the celebration of the “May 1st” International Labor Day and the National Conference to Commend the National Model Workers and Advanced Workers that we must develop socialist democracy and earnestly protect and continuously develop the democratic rights of the working class and the working masses. We must uphold the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, the people being masters of the country, and the rule of law, adhere to the working class’s status as the country’s leading class, and accelerate the institutionalization, standardization, and procedure of socialist democratic politics. Under my country’s socialist system, the people, under the leadership of the Party and in accordance with the Constitution and laws, participate in national political and social decision-making through various channels and forms, manage various national affairs, and effectively protect their own rights and interests. Trade unions at all levels adhere to the policy of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, constantly promote the improvement of institutional arrangements to ensure the status of employees as masters, and promote the increase of the proportion of ordinary workers among the deputies and committee members of party committees, people’s congresses, political consultative conferences, and mass organizations at all levels. In the most recent round of elections for the National People’s Congress at the county and township levels, the proportion of front-line workers and farmers among grassroots representatives has increased compared with the last election, and 28 provincial-level trade unions across the country are equipped with 46 part-time vice-chairmen for industrial workers. . Improve the democratic management system with the workers’ congress as the basic form, and promote the party committees and governments at all levels to incorporate the democratic management of enterprises into the overall planning of the economic and social development of the region. The local regulations for democratic management of public institutions more effectively implement the rights of employees and the masses to know, participate, express, and supervise. During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, trade unions at all levels organized employee representatives to offer advice and suggestions for the resumption of work and production of enterprises and institutions through the theme activity of “solving problems openly and promoting development through democracy”, guiding employees and enterprises to overcome difficulties together through thick and thin; It adopts democratic management forms such as meetings and open factory affairs, unblocks the dialogue channels between enterprises and employees, properly handles labor relations during the epidemic prevention and control period, and unites and unites employees to overcome difficulties. In May 2022, the ACFTU issued the “Notice on Promoting the Development of Enterprises and Safeguarding the Rights and Interests of Employees under the Situation of Normalized Epidemic Prevention and Control”, requiring active efforts to promote enterprise development and safeguard the rights and interests of employees under the situation of normalized epidemic prevention and control. work to ensure the overall harmony and stability of labor relations.
Promote the realization of the relief of urban workers in difficulty.On October 29, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in a collective conversation with the members of the 17th leading group of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions that the focus of serving employees is the needy employees. Difficult workers. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s caring, caring and caring for the employees in difficulty fully reflects the general secretary’s deep sense of caring for the people, always caring about the people’s safety and health, and is a vivid portrayal of our party’s adherence to the people-centered development philosophy . Trade unions at all levels regard the relief work of urban employees in difficulty as an important entry point to improve the quality of rights protection services, and focus on the overall situation of poverty alleviation with precise policies and targeted efforts. By the end of 2020, all the 5,498,700 families of urban workers in difficulties registered by trade unions have been relieved of their difficulties, of which 4,805,800 families, involving 13,010,000 family members, have been fundamentally out of poverty, and 639,500 families have withdrawn due to factors such as accurate identification and migrant workers returning to their hometowns. According to the archives, 53,400 families of seriously ill and disabled employees are included in the government’s back-up guarantee and the trade union’s normalized assistance. The goals and tasks of relieving difficulties and getting rid of difficulties have been realized as scheduled, and all employees have simultaneously entered a well-off society in an all-round way. On the basis of realizing the relief of urban employees in difficulty, further consolidate the achievements of urban employees in difficulty and improve the long-term and long-term mechanism of normalized gradient assistance with clear levels, different focuses, and organic connection. In April 2020, the ACFTU issued a notice on the normalized delivery of warmth and assistance during the epidemic. In view of the possible impact of the epidemic on the production and life of employees, it will increase its efforts to check and arrange for employees who have difficulties in living due to the epidemic. , Those who meet the conditions for filing a file for employees in difficulty should help and pay as much as they can.
The Shaanxi Federation of Trade Unions launched a free physical examination campaign for 10,000 migrant workers to “send physical examinations to the construction site”, and organized medical personnel to visit a number of construction units to conduct health examinations and medical consultations for more than 10,000 migrant workers in batches. The picture shows on November 19, 2021, in a resettlement community construction project in Xi’an, workers are undergoing physical examinations.Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen / photo
Improve the ability of serving the masses of workers.General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the National Commendation Conference for Model Workers and Advanced Workers on November 24, 2020 that it is necessary to adhere to the diverse needs of the masses to carry out work, open up new ways to serve the masses, and make services more direct, in-depth and closer. The working class and the broad masses of the working people move, warm, influence and win people’s hearts by serving the masses. Serving employees is an important means to do a good job in the work of the Party’s employees and the masses. At present, the main contradictions in our society have changed, and the level of needs of employees has been continuously improved. Trade unions should not only protect the legitimate rights and interests of employees in various ways, but also need to provide diversified services for employees from a wider perspective, more fields, and higher levels. Service awareness, improve service capabilities, tap service resources, and strive to solve problems for the masses. The 17th National Congress of the Trade Union held in 2018 expanded the basic responsibilities of the trade union to “protect the legitimate rights and interests of employees and serve the workers wholeheartedly.” The trade union law revised at the end of 2021 further clarified the basic responsibilities of the trade union’s rights protection services. Build a trade union service employee system focusing on inclusive services and precise assistance, improve and strengthen the work of providing warmth, golden autumn education, sunshine employment, mutual medical assistance for employees, trade union legal assistance, etc. Beneficial services, promote the pilot work of improving the quality of life of employees, carry out the pilot work of labor union support centers to empower and increase efficiency, and build a service employee complex in 20 large and medium cities, and carry out enterprises in 50 enterprises (industrial parks) to improve the quality of life of employees, A pilot project to create a happy living environment. Carrying out activities such as “I do practical things for the masses”, and activities such as labor union cadres visiting the grassroots level, the labor union has more diverse ways to serve the masses, more intimate content, and more effective results.
On the new journey, it will better meet the longing for a better life of the workers and the masses
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that human rights protection is not the best, only better. It is necessary to promote the comprehensive development of human rights, adhere to China’s human rights development path, meet the people’s expectations for a high-quality and beautiful life, and continuously meet the people’s growing needs for rights in many aspects. At present, my country has embarked on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way. The domestic and foreign situations it faces are more severe and complex, the downward pressure on the economy is increasing, and the overall planning of epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development is facing new situations. Labor relations are frequently conflicting, and mediation is difficult and complicated. The degree is increasing. We must fully understand the importance and arduousness of doing a good job in trade union rights protection services, in order to do a good job in the actual effect of rights protection services, unite, unite and mobilize hundreds of millions of workers, and make unremitting efforts to achieve the second centenary goal. .
Organize and mobilize the majority of employees to forge ahead in a new journey, and constantly consolidate the material foundation for rights protection services.To satisfy the longing for a better life of the majority of employees, we must have a solid material foundation as a support and require the unremitting struggle of the majority of employees. It is necessary to strengthen ideological and political guidance, guide the majority of employees to thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and lay a solid ideological foundation for unity and struggle. Focusing on major national strategies, major projects, major projects, and key industries, organize extensive, in-depth and lasting labor and skill competitions for employees, deepen mass innovation activities, vigorously promote the spirit of model workers, labor, and craftsmanship, and guide employees to actively participate in building society in an all-round way. The great practice of modernism in the country. Conscientiously implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the first Great Power Craftsman Innovation Exchange Conference, deepen the reform of the construction of industrial workers, grasp the key to improving the quality of industrial workers, and pay attention to the role of skilled workers, and cultivate more high-skilled talents and great power craftsmen, Provide solid talent and skill support for promoting high-quality development.
From October 14th to 16th, 2021, the final of the 7th National Staff Vocational Skills Competition was held in Chengdu. More than 500 players from 32 teams from all over the country participated in the operation of fitters, welders, CNC machine tool installation and maintenance workers, and industrial robots. The six types of trades, including adjustment workers, network and information security administrators, and masonry workers, will compete in the competition. The picture shows the finalists in the welder trade competition.Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Bohan / photo
Closely follow the needs and expectations of the employees and the masses, and improve the effectiveness of rights protection services.Pay close attention to the employment of laid-off workers, college graduates and other groups, deepen the employment and entrepreneurship services of trade unions, intensify employee skills training and job transfer training, and focus on safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of groups such as workers in new forms of employment, migrant workers, and workers with living difficulties. Explore the establishment of a negotiation mechanism, improve social security and other methods to promote the resolution of outstanding problems such as labor remuneration, social insurance, rest and vacation, and occupational safety faced by workers in the new employment form. Strengthen the construction of the inclusive service system for employees, increase the construction of outdoor labor service sites such as “Labor Harbor” and Love Station, improve the normalized warm-up mechanism, and improve the monitoring and assistance mechanism for employees who are impoverished due to disasters and epidemics. Improve the quality of life of employees and promote common prosperity.
Maintain political security in the labor field, and promote social harmony with the stability of the workforce.Thoroughly implement the overall national security concept, with a sense of responsibility of “always rest assured”, establish a bottom-line thinking, enhance the sense of urgency, and put the maintenance of political security in the labor field into the overall situation of welcoming, studying, publicizing and implementing the 20th National Congress of the Party to plan and Adhere to the “two-handed approach”, focus on prevention and resolution on the one hand, and lead construction on the other, strengthen the research and judgment on the impact of the epidemic on labor relations and employees’ rights and interests, improve the long-term mechanism for monitoring, analysis, prevention, and disposal of labor relations risks, and strengthen labor relations conflicts. Risk investigation, promote the establishment of harmonious labor relations, effectively maintain political security in the field of labor, resolutely prevent hostile forces from inciting, infiltrating and sabotaging through the so-called “rights protection”, resolutely maintain the unity of the workforce and trade union organizations, and resolutely maintain the overall harmony and stability of the enterprise and society , resolutely defend the leadership of the Communist Party of China and my country’s socialist system, and take practical actions to welcome the victory of the party’s 20th National Congress.
Author: Party Secretary, Vice Chairman, and First Secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions