What Sort of Collective Bargaining Is Emerging in China?

TitleWhat Sort of Collective Bargaining Is Emerging in China?
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsLee, Chang-Hee, Brown, William, and Wen, Xiaoyi
JournalBritish Journal of Industrial Relations
VolumeArticle first published online: 10 NOV 2014
Date Published2014
KeywordsChina, collective bargaining, labor policy, union reform, worker activism
Abstract

China is experiencing a rapid expansion of what is termed ‘collective bargaining’. The article draws on workplace and sectoral examples to assess what underlies this. Recent changes in labor policy are outlined. Four studies at establishment level describe the use of hybrid representation in response to growing worker activism and internal union reform. Two studies of sectoral bargaining shed light on decentralized decision-making on pay. Attention is drawn to the growth of employer organizations and increased articulation within the trade union. A form of collective bargaining is emerging where the union draws on state power to improve conditions of employment.

URLhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjir.12109/abstract