Economic Development and Sectoral Unions in China

Eli D Friedman

doi:10.1177/001979391406700208

Abstract

Drawing on qualitative fieldwork in China's Guangdong and Zhejiang Provinces, the author asks how post-socialist unions respond to worker unrest and why the development of sectoral-level bargaining has been uneven in different regions of China. While Zhejiang has had relative success in establishing the organizational infrastructure for sectoral bargaining, Guangdong has had little success despite ongoing attempts by unions. The author explains variation in sectoral-level bargaining through an analysis of the different models of economic development, which are characterized as local entrepreneurialism and global integration for Zhejiang and Guangdong, respectively. Despite having different organizational forms, unions in both places suffer from a lack of credibility and capacity to enforce contracts. Given the ACFTU's ongoing focus on sectoral-level bargaining, however, experiments will likely continue in various regions and industries throughout China.

Highlights

Drawing on qualitative fieldwork in China’s Guangdong and Zhejiang Provinces, the author asks how post-socialist unions respond to worker unrest and why the development of sectoral-level bargaining has been uneven in different regions of China
Given that unions in southeastern Zhejiang Province have been widely hailed by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) as the most successful in this field, research has quite logically focused on this region
I bring the development of sectoral negotiation in Zhejiang into comparative perspective through an abbreviated discussion of the experiences of unions in Guangdong—the province many scholars consider to be at the forefront of union innovation (Liu 2011; Friedman 2013)

Summary

Introduction

Drawing on qualitative fieldwork in China’s Guangdong and Zhejiang Provinces, the author asks how post-socialist unions respond to worker unrest and why the development of sectoral-level bargaining has been uneven in different regions of China. Diverse approaches to regional development within China present different possibilities for establishing the institutional infrastructure within which sectorallevel negotiation can take place. By focusing on the rather exceptional case of Zhejiang Province, I show that distinct regional models of economic development produce variations in the capacity of unions to engage in collective negotiation. I bring the development of sectoral negotiation in Zhejiang into comparative perspective through an abbreviated discussion of the experiences of unions in Guangdong—the province many scholars consider to be at the forefront of union innovation (Liu 2011; Friedman 2013). Post-socialist unions remain weak because they are institutionally dependent either on the state, employers, or both

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Discussion

Conclusion