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ACFTU and Trade UnionsMainland coverage of a recent union visit to China: “Harmony”, “dialogue” and “cooperation”
The article below is taken from the ACFTU newspaper the Workers Daily and gives an insight into the coverage and tone of reporting of official visits from overseas trade unions. It covers the May 2007 visit to China of a high level delegation from Change to Win (including Teamsters, UNITE HERE, UFW and SEIU)The translation is by China Labor News Translations*
The Workers’ Daily
22 May, 2007 During the course of visiting China, every member of the Change to Win Federation delegation said the mood these days can be summed up in one word - excited. The delegation leader, Change to win President Anna Burger, told reporters that reforms in China and Chinese trade unions give the impressions that establishing a close and friendly relationship with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is the only course. On 18 May, the 21-member delegation of Change to Win, headed by Anna Burger, began their 9-day visit in China. This was the first official visit from Change to Win since its establishment in 2005, and marked the establishment of a friendly bilateral Sino-American relationship at the national trade union level. In the past few days the delegation visited Shanghai and Beijing to observe businesses, ports and many other places with ACFTU leaders, workers and scholars in order to exchange and explore ideas. "The Change to Win delegation and ACFTU have a great deal in common where we can mutually learn from and deliberate over strategy and share experiences. We can enhance the dialogue between our two federations and set a very good example to the world," said Anna Burger expressing everybody's shared sentiment. "We can personally visit operations, and truly experience the tremendous changes that are occurring in China". "Astonishing" was the appraisal of the trip by of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union president James Hoffa. The delegation visited Shanghai first. On May 19, when the delegation arrived just outside of the mouth of the Yangtze River near Shanghai's international shipping centre Yang Shan Deep Water Port, they personally toured the modern docks, berths, and loading equipment which has already left many visitors with a sense of amazement. Furthermore, everybody was excited since in the few hours preceding, port workers set a new world record: on May 18 from 7pm until May 19 at 2:48am, for 7 and a half hours, they had just finished loading and unloading 5,182 containers, at an average of 690.93 containers per hour, breaking the previous world record of 545.1 containers per hour. Moreover, Yang Shan Deep Water Port union chairperson says that Chinese trade unions are making great efforts to ensure the protection of workers, actively promote business development, establish harmonious labor relationships, and bring about positive experiences for both labor and business, which give everyone a profound impression. "This is our first time to come to China. We not only saw some enormous buildings, fashionably dressed people, and high living standards, but also the enthusiasm of workers." Hoffa sighed with emotion, saying that the enthusiasm of workers and the success of the union are inseparable. Arturo Rodriguez is the American United Farmers Union president. Like Hoffa, it is also his first time to set foot on Chinese soil. "After coming to China, I have discovered that many people, including myself, do not understand enough about China. Coming here personally I can truly experience what is happening in China during these tremendous changes." Rodriguez said that he hopes he can learn more about China’s development and the very meaningful work that Chinese trade unions are now undertaking. During his visits in Kunming City and Dali City in Yunnan Province, he wants to visit Chinese farms and see the planting and growing of produce, fruit, grains, and how Chinese peasants live, in order to thereby advance the mutual understanding between Chinese and American agricultural workers to the utmost of his abilities. "Through the common interests of workers, we walk side by side." [NOTE 2] He continued to say, "the information from the discussion forums has been very fruitful and has reflected the Chinese labor union's ability to continuously increase the protection of worker interests.” On 21 May Chinese staff and workers held the "Chinese American Union Collective Bargaining Discussion Forum." The delegation and ACFTU leaders, cadres and scholars engaged in a frank exchange centered on such themes as how to improve collective bargaining skills between union and business, how unions can have a hand in labor legislation, and how to express and bring about workers’ demands. “Despite being here just a very short time, we have gained a lot because we share many common issues." Anna Burger said that, ‘Chinese unions face difficulties in promoting collective bargaining such as union organizers’ specialized knowledge, improvement of negotiating skills, difficulties in honoring contracts etc... but these are all issues that we also face. Problem solving brings us closer together. We are very willing to let Chinese unions share and learn from Change to Win's collective bargaining skills. At the same time Chinese unions participated in the drafting of labor law legislation in a positive way, and this is a worthwhile experience to draw from. [NOTE 2] Actually, talks were not just limited to the subject of collective bargaining. The delegation discovered during their exchanges that Change to Win and the ACFTU had found more and more of a "common language.” The Service Employee International Union (SEIU) president Andy Stern is called by American media as a "progressive and practical labor leader." As early as 2002, the SEIU president lead delegations to China, opening a new phase in Chinese American union contacts. In 2005, after the SEIU president and seven national trade unions established the Change to Win federation, he remained steadfast in trying to enhance understanding and dialogue between Chinese and American unions. "My first visit five years ago changed some of my perspectives. Stern said that over the past several years he has visited China several times and has been able to experience the daily changes in China, especially the energy of Chinese unions in making great strides in the achievements of the protection of workers interests as well as the expansion of the union itself, such as the increase of millions and millions of union members every year, the push to revise the laws protecting worker rights, unionizing Wal-Mart etc. These are all lessons that American unions can draw on. In the afternoon of 21 May, the Communist Party Central Committee’s Polit Bureau member, the Deputy Chair of the National People's Congress, and the ACFTU Chairperson Wang Zhao Guo met with the delegation. Guests and hosts had a friendly chat where every delegation member was received with deep sincerity and enthusiasm by the Chinese union. Anna Burger sincerely said to Wang Zhao Guo that, although American and Chinese culture, political systems, and union organization structures and history are different, there is one thing that they share: trade unions must protect the rights and interests of workers and that under globalization both are faced with common employers. "Through the common interests of workers, we walk side by side," Anne Burger stressed. [NOTE 3] "We should work together, hand in hand, towards establishing independent, equal, mutually respectful, and harmonious relationships in the new order of the international labor movement. [NOTE 4] Reporters covering the story revealed that, although the national state of affairs and the political systems of China and USA are different, on some issues the two unions cannot fail but to reach a consensus. However, the delegation thinks coming together is cooperative and will be the start of more exchanges. In this everyone is brimming with confidence. Andy Stern told reporters, "each country's trade union organizations should enhance dialogue and cooperation. By protecting the interests of workers, this allows them to enjoy the benefits of economic growth. Globalization is the backdrop that each country's union organizations are faced with and which we struggle against together”. Chinese union leaders equally have a deep understanding of these matters, which made Stern extremely delighted. Many members of the delegation were left with a deep impression after the meeting with Wang Zhao Guo on 21 May in which they discussed establishing a new order for a fair and reasonable international labor movement. Wang Zhao Guo said that even though there are different national issues, the reality of workers’ conditions is the same, and workers all belong together and should unite and rise up, jointly protecting the rights and interests of the masses. As an organization of the working class, each country's unions should strengthen dialogue, including promoting exchanges, collaboration, sharing experiences in the protection of workers’ rights and interests, and methods. This is a necessary step if unions are to be able to overcome the common challenges posed by economic globalization. Moreover, increasing the dialogue and cooperation between each country's union organizations will help in establishing a new order for a fair and reasonable international labor movement. Wang Zhao Guo explained that a new order for a fair and reasonable international labor movement should be independent, equal, mutually respecting, with every one getting along together. The international labor movement organization ought to fully develop democracy. Each country's trade union organizations, no matter how small or how big, should all sufficiently make known their opinions on rights, and should not be controlled by any individual unions. The international labor movement organizations should respect each country's trade unions according to the state of affairs of each nation. Each country's unions has the equal right to participate in the international labor movement's affairs and to jointly struggle for the international labor movement's harmonious growth. Wang Zhao Guo again underlined that although Chinese trade unions do not participate in any international union organizations, they would be willing to consult on basic shared issues with any international trade union. This is because the Chinese labor movement needs the understanding of unions from every country - understanding and support. Chinese unions also need increased cooperation with the unions of every country of the world to deepen understanding and to be jointly concerned about issues that arise in order to enhance cooperation. This will be beneficial to all unions, and to all in the working class with the on-going reach of globalization. The unions of every country depend on the law to protect the legal rights and interests of the workers. This way workers and businesses can develop simultaneously to obtain more reasonable rights and interests. "During the four days of face-to-face meetings, especially after meeting with the ACFTU leadership, we have a better sense of each other. Only by increasing dialogue with the ACFTU do we learn from each other's experiences, and then we have the opportunity to let the voice of workers be heard." During the press coverage, Anna Burger indicated that this visit to China is very important. As Chairperson Wang Zhao Guo said, "It is a great breakthrough of historical significance," but this is just the first step. From now on, the field of cooperation will be even more wide-spread. "Because the 21st century is a complex century, especially due to the globalization of capital, so we urgently need every country's union to adopt effective measures to strengthen relationships with each other and to strengthen unity. In this way, we can effectively protect workers interests and improve their lives.” Reported by Wang Jiao Ping
A slightly less effusive report is also translated and available here in ENglish CLNT_CtoWin_deeper_cooperation.pdf [128.09KB] [Xinhua News/Shaanxi.cn]
NOTES
NOTE 1: Translated from Chinese. Original Chinese version available at NOTE 2: Translator’s note: this precise statement is attributed to Anna Burger later in the article, suggesting an error in the journalism NOTE 3: Translator’s note: the exact same words have already been attributed to Rodriguez on page two. NOTE :4 Translator’s note: here there appears to be another error in the original journalism. These exact same words are later attributed to ACFTU chairman Wang Zhao Guo.
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