Mobilizing Hundreds of Millions of Workers to Build a Great Country and Advance National Rejuvenation

Mobilizing Hundreds of Millions of Workers to Build a Great Country and
Advance National Rejuvenation

XI JINPING

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the Chinese working class, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, has played a great role in advanc­ing the cause of our Party and our country. Historic achievements have been made in the workers’ movement, and all-around progress has been achieved in the work of trade unions. Over the past five years, Chinese work­ers, closely following our Party’s leadership, have taken on major tasks such as economic development, technological innovation, poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, Covid-19 response, and disaster rescue and relief. Facing diffi­culties head-on and shouldering heavy responsibilities, they have fully demon­strated the ethos of the times. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions and trade union organizations at all other levels have provided workers with strong theoretical and political guidance, advanced reforms to improve the ranks of industrial workers, safeguarded workers’ rights and interests, maintained political security in the labor sector, deepened self-reform, and strengthened their political commitment, advanced nature, and close ties with the workers. The CPC Central Committee fully recognizes the important contributions of the working class and the new achievements in trade union work.

The 18th National Congress of Chinese Trade Unions has adopted guidelines for trade union work in the coming period. I would like to emphasize a few points here.

1. It is imperative that trade unions uphold the overall leadership of our Party

The Chinese workers’ movement has developed under the leadership of our Party, and trade unions are working-class organizations led by our Party. Uphold­ing the Party’s overall leadership over trade unions is a principle that we must not waver or deviate from at any time or under any circumstances. Upholding our Party’s leadership is not something abstract or vague and should not be reduced to a mere formality; it must be implemented comprehensively and effec­tively throughout the entire process and in all aspects of trade union work. In particular, the need for our Party’s leader­ship must be emphasized from the outset when it comes to forming trade unions in new types of economic and social organi­zations and among groups in new forms of employment.

President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech during a meeting with the new leadership of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions at Zhongnanhai, Beijing, October 23, 2023. PHOTO BY XINHUA REPORTER JU PENG

It is imperative to uphold the author­ity of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership; stay aligned with the Central Committee in thinking, political stance, and action; and ensure that trade union work remains on the right course. It is imperative to strengthen unity and commitment by embracing the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, make continuous efforts to gain a good command of theory, and become more purposeful in studying and applying our Party’s new theory in both thinking and action.

Trade unions must bear in mind the most fundamental interests of our country and have a clear understand­ing of how to integrate their work with our Party’s central task, what measures to start with, and what areas to focus on, so as to ensure the implementation of the Central Committee’s decisions and plans in trade unions and better fulfill their functions and roles. Trade unions should provide more theoretical and political guidance to the workers, guide and encourage them to follow our Party’s leadership, and ensure that the working class remains the most solid and reliable class foundation of our Party.

President Xi Jinping talks with truck drivers, train drivers, loading workers, and management staff at a rail container hub at Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, afternoon of April 22, 2024. He toured Chongqing from April 22 to 24. PHOTO BY XINHUA REPORTER WANG YE

2. It is imperative that trade unions organize and mobilize workers in their hundreds of millions to make greater contributions on the new journey of the new era

Among the many tasks of trade unions, the most fundamental one is to rally our workers around our Party to accomplish its central task. Trade unions should stay true to the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, fully motivate the workers, and spark their creativity for building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation.

Trade unions should apply the new devel­opment philosophy, foster a new develop­ment dynamic, and promote high-quality development. With this goal in mind, trade unions should hold vocational and skill competitions in various forms to motivate the workers and unleash their creative potential so that they can fully play their role in all fields and sectors of society.

Trade unions should promote the ethos of model workers, of work, and of craftsman­ship, give full play to the exemplary role of model workers and master craftsmen, and motivate workers to realize their dreams through diligent, honest, and creative work. In order to fully implement the strategy of invigorating China through science and education, the strategy of workforce devel­opment, and the strategy of innovation-driven development, trade unions should deepen reforms to strengthen the ranks of industrial workers, work faster to build an educated, skilled, and innovative industrial workforce, and train more master craftsmen and highly skilled workers.

3. It is imperative that trade unions wholeheartedly protect the rights and interests of workers and provide them with good services

We are pursuing Chinese modernization to create prosperity for all. The working class and workers are the main creators of social wealth. To make more notable and substan­tive progress in bringing prosperity to all, we should first of all work to bring prosper­ity to the hundreds of millions of workers. Trade unions, which represent and protect the interests of workers, should perform their primary functions of protecting the rights and interests of workers and provid­ing services to them. They should work hard to solve practical problems that affect the vital interests of workers. In particular, they should pay great attention to safeguarding the legal rights and interests of workers in new forms of employment. Trade unions should strengthen democratic manage­ment in enterprises and public institutions, maintain open channels through which workers can voice their demands, and guide workers in expressing their demands and protecting their rights and interests in a lawful, rational, and orderly manner so as to promote harmonious labor relations.

For workers, trade unions are their homes, and trade union officials are so close to them as if they were their family members. It is important to continue to deepen the reform and development of trade unions, with a particular focus on those at the primary level, consolidating their foundations, stimulat­ing their vitality, and steadily improving their leadership, organizational, and service capabilities. While strengthening the founda­tions of existing trade union organizations, we should also continue to support the estab­lishment of trade unions and the increase in their membership in new types of economic and social organizations and among groups in new forms of employment, so as to expand the coverage of trade unions. It is essential that we develop new approaches to work and provide targeted and considerate services to workers. Trade union officials should follow our Party’s mass line and conduct in-depth research to learn about workers’ needs and expectations in a timely manner. They should continue to improve their ability to serve workers and truly represent and act in their best interests. As the leading trade union institution in China, the All-China Federa­tion of Trade Unions should take the lead in strengthening self-improvement efforts, set a good example, and become a model politi­cal institution that the Party trusts and the people are satisfied with.

CPC committees (CPC leadership groups) at all levels should strengthen their leader­ship over trade unions and trade union work. They should select and appoint quali­fied people to the leadership teams of trade unions, both care about and be strict with trade union officials, and pay great atten­tion to their training and use. They should also give full play to the role of trade union organizations, promptly address impor­tant issues facing workers and trade union work, and support trade unions in carrying out their work creatively. Governments at all levels should make full use of their joint meetings with trade unions and help them solve practical difficulties and problems faced by workers.

This is the main part of the remarks made by President Xi Jinping to the new leader­ship of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions on October 23, 2023.

(Originally appeared in Qiushi Journal, Chinese edition, No. 9, 2024)