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Most multinationals set up labor unions in China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-24 21:33

BEIJING -- Most multinationals, including those on the Fortune 500 list, have set up labor unions on the Chinese mainland, a senior unionist said Wednesday.

According to Guo Wencai, organization department director of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, 313 labor unions have been set up by 83 percent of headquarters of multinationals in China.

About 3,843 of their corporate entities across the Chinese mainland, or 85 percent, have established trade unions so far with nearly 2.13 million union members, he said.

In provinces like Hebei, Hubei and Liaoning, more than 95 percent of multinational entities have been unionized.

Guo said China has made important progress in persuading the unionization of multinationals in this country but there are still some multinationals' headquarters and entities which fail to set up labor unions, including US Microsoft, Wyeth Pharmaceutical, Morgan Stanley and Japanese Marubeni Cooperation.

China has the highest number of trade union members in the world, with membership increasing from 123 million in 2003 to 209 million by June this year.