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Developing Fundamental Labour Rights in China – A New Approach to Implementation

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Fundamental Labour Rights in China - Legal Implementation and Cultural Logic

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice ((IUSGENT,volume 49))

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Abstract

This article explains the underlying propositions, approaches and perspectives which this volume adopts in examining implementation of fundamental labour rights in the particular cultural context of the Chinese experience. It is, however, emphasized that fundamental labour rights is a deeply European-rooted concept, and when applied to China its parochialism may not do justice to the diversity of labour law development in China and to the role that the international labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) have played in this development. The concept of fundamental labour rights enables an examination of the Chinese labour law issue from different angles with a comparative perspective. This comparative undertaking is based on the assumption that the concept of fundamental labour rights could be approached and appropriated by various actors in different contexts. The broad perspective of implementation covers legislative implementation by national and local legislatures, monitoring by labour inspectorates, judicial implementation by labour arbitration committees and courts as well as application of fundamental labour rights by enterprises and other non-state actors. Recognition of fundamental labour rights can be found at different layers of legal normativity and connected in a hybrid structure so that interaction, dialogue and mutual enforcement among different layers also provide a valuable research subject. Examining fundamental labour rights is important as these rights have the potential, inter alia, to contribute to systematizing and developing the Chinese labour law system. Focusing on them can help identify the most persistent labour market problems and better understand underlying economic and social factors.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See Liukkunen and Chen 2014.

  2. 2.

    The eight ILO ‘core’ or ‘fundamental’ Conventions are: the Forced Labour Convention No. 29, the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No. 87, the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No. 98, the Equal Remuneration Convention No. 100, the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention No. 105, the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention No. 111, the Minimum Age Convention No. 138, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182.

  3. 3.

    For exposure and critique of legal orientalism, see Ruskola 2002 and 2013.

  4. 4.

    See also Perry 1997, at pp. 508–509.

  5. 5.

    See e.g., a strong critique voiced by Alston 2004. For a response from a former legal advisor to the ILO, see Maupain 2005.

  6. 6.

    See e.g., the Annual Reports on Fundamental Labour Rights published by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Labour Rights.

  7. 7.

    [Labour Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国劳动合同法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó láo dòng hé tóng fǎ), 2007.

  8. 8.

    [Employment Promotion Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国就业促进法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó jiù yè cù jìn fǎ), 2007.

  9. 9.

    [Labour Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国劳动争议调解仲裁法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó láo dòng zhēng yì tiáo jiě zhòng cái fǎ), 2007.

  10. 10.

    See e.g., Sengenberger 2005.

  11. 11.

    See also Liukkunen 2014.

  12. 12.

    See e.g., Maupain 2013. For an assessment of the ILO as an international organization marginalized in global governance and not capable of fulfilling its mandate, see Klabbers 2014.

  13. 13.

    See also Chen at Chap. 4 in this volume.

  14. 14.

    For example, Jean-Michel Servais observes that “the level of economic development plays however a key role in the process of integrating international labour law into the domestic legal order”. See Servais 2011, at p. 344.

  15. 15.

    This subject is often dealt with under the theme of “the relation of municipal and international law” in textbooks of international law. See e.g. Brownlie 2008, at chapter 2; Cassese 2005, at chapter 12; Wang 1998, at chapter 6.

  16. 16.

    See Chen 2014, at pp. 29–39.

  17. 17.

    See e.g., Brown at Chap. 7 in this volume.

  18. 18.

    [Trade Union Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国工会法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó gōng huì fǎ), 1992 (as revised in 2001), Article 5 provides that: “Trade unions shall organize and educate employees to exercise their democratic rights pursuant to the provisions of Chinese Constitution and laws, to play their role as the nation’s master, to participate through various channels and forms in the management of state affairs, economic, cultural and social affairs. It shall also assist the people’s governments in performing their duties, and uphold the people’s democratic dictatorship of socialist state power, which is under the leadership of the working classes and based on worker-peasant alliance”.

  19. 19.

    An outstanding example is the [Provisions on the Democratic Management of Enterprises] 企业民主管理规定 (qǐ yè mín zhǔ guǎn lǐ guī dìng), 2012. This has been one of the most important sources for promoting employee participation in company administration in private enterprises.

  20. 20.

    [Trade Union Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国工会法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó gōng huì fǎ), 1992 (as revised in 2001), Article 33 expressly confirms the trade unions’ right to be consulted. “The state organs shall listen to the view of the trade unions when drafting or amending laws, statutory rules and regulations directly involving the rights and interests of employees. The people’s governments at the level of county or above shall, when formulating national economic and social development plans, listen to the views of the equivalent level trade unions on important issues involving the rights and interests of employees. When the people’s governments at the county level or above and their relevant authorities formulate important policies or measures on employment, wages, labour safety and hygiene, social insurance, etc., the equivalent level trade unions shall be invited to participate in the research work and the views of the said trade unions shall be taken into consideration.”

  21. 21.

    See Tapiola 2014.

  22. 22.

    It was reported in 2000 for the first time in ILO history that Article 33 of the ILO Constitution was activated against Myanmar’s persistent violation of its obligations under the Forced Labour Convention. See Maupain 2005, at p. 441.

  23. 23.

    China has adopted two National Human Rights Action Plans: [National Human Rights Action Plan of China] 国家人权行动计划 (guó jiā rén quán xíng dòng jì huà) respectively 2009–2010 and 2012–2015.

  24. 24.

    See UN Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights 2012.

  25. 25.

    [Xie] 谢增毅 2011, at p. 2.

  26. 26.

    [Protection of Minors Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国未成年人保护法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó wèi chéng nián rén bǎo hù fǎ), 1991, Article 38.

  27. 27.

    [Labour Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国劳动法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó láo dòng fǎ), 1994, Article 15.

  28. 28.

    See also Liukkunen at Chap. 6 in this volume.

  29. 29.

    [Trade Union Law of the People’s Republic of China] 中华人民共和国工会法 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó gōng huì fǎ), 1992.

  30. 30.

    National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China 2014, at p. 121.

  31. 31.

    For a thorough discussion on legal development on anti-discrimination in employment, see Xie 2014.

  32. 32.

    For an exception see, however, [Yang and Xuan] 杨帅 and 宣海林 2013.

  33. 33.

    See e.g., [Qin] 秦国荣 2012.

  34. 34.

    See also an analysis provided by Ye at Chap. 10 in this volume.

  35. 35.

    [CCP Central Committee Decision concerning Some Major Issues in Comprehensively Promoting Governing the Country According to Law] 中共中央关于全面推进依法治国若干重大问题的决定 (zhōng gòng zhōng yāng guān yú quán miàn tuī jìn yī fǎ zhì guó ruò gān zhòng dà wèn tí de jué dìng), 2014.

  36. 36.

    See also Peerenboom 2014.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Ulla Liukkunen

  2. Peking University Law School, Beijing, China

    Yifeng Chen

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  1. Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Ulla Liukkunen

  2. Peking University Law School, Beijing, China

    Yifeng Chen

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Liukkunen, U., Chen, Y. (2016). Developing Fundamental Labour Rights in China – A New Approach to Implementation. In: Liukkunen, U., Chen, Y. (eds) Fundamental Labour Rights in China - Legal Implementation and Cultural Logic. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 49. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23156-3_1

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