Remember that China is liberalizing its markets faster than its political institutions, so when Chinese law helps Wal-Mart workers form a "union", you had better understand who is actually in charge. Strangely enough, this is not recognized by socialists in the US:
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions announced in November that Wal-Mart, which employs 20,000 workers at its stores in China, has agreed to allow a union to represent them if its "associates"--its euphemism for employees--show that they want one...The author urges those in social democratic countries not to oppose the national union:Chinese law requires that all companies, whether private or state-owned, allow the establishment of unions. But the law has not been vigorously enforced in foreign-owned companies until recently.
The ACFTU has taken on a huge task in trying to organize Wal-Mart, as U.S. unions have already found out. It takes genuine international solidarity among the workers of many countries to force these transnational corporations to sign a union contract. That should be at the top of the agenda of unions in the U.S.--not a campaign to defame China's national union organization.In other words, it's union power that matters, not individual consent or local control over bargaining. Very honest.
Posted by Kevin on January, 24 2005 at 10:41 AM
