Beyond the Union‐Centred Approach: A Critical Evaluation of Recent Trade Union Elections in China

Abstract

Many Western scholars have regarded union democracy and elections as affairs that are internal to trade unions and unconnected with outside forces. Going beyond the mainstream union-centred approach, this study critically assesses one significant type of union election that has been emerging in China since 2010 and that has been driven by different forces from previous elections. Previous workplace union elections had been 'top-down' -initiated by the party-state or its apparatuses, or else transnational corporation-induced -but this newer type of election has been driven by workers' strikes. This study illustrates howthe dynamics among the quadripartite actors -party-state, higher-level trade unions, capital and labour -have shaped these strike-driven elections. Contrary to the claim that these elections have been 'direct' and 'democratic', our case studies show that they have been indirect and quasi-democratic in nature.

Taming Labor: Workers’ Struggles, Workplace Unionism, and Collective Bargaining on a Chinese Waterfront

“…In general, unions in the private sector have been established via collaboration between management and higher level unions seeking to meet pre-set targets for union density. Potential associational power was further undermined by the widespread practice of appointing rather than electing workplace representatives (Hui and Chan 2015). Trade union elections have been piloted in the provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang (Pringle 2011;Chan and Hui 2015) but remain very much the exception and are often manipulated by management anyway.…”

“…Interviews conducted after the second strike suggested that the election of a manager as chair reflected workers" concerns regarding access to management policy and data as well as a degree management manipulation also reflected in This is the accepted version of a forthcoming article that will be published by Sage in ILR Review: http://journals.sagepub.com/loi/ilr Accepted version downloaded from SOAS Research Online: http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/24689/ strike-driven elections elsewhere (Chan and Hui 2015). While it is probably too late to verify the degree of manipulation, Cao and Meng nevertheless argue that the election "signalled that grassroots union reform became possible" (2017: 6).…”

Layers of union organising and representation: the case study of a strike in a Japanese‐funded auto plant in China

“…Extant studies have also assessed the implications of the strikes for trade union reforms (e.g. Hui and Chan ; Lüthje ). In particular, it is believed that strikes have led to the democratic election of grassroots union representatives at workplaces, i.e.…”

“…Chang ); reforms in workplace trade union elections as a result of the strike (e.g. Hui and Chan ); and the introduction of collective bargaining regulations at the regional level (e.g. Lüthje ).…”

Putting the Chinese State in its Place: A March from Passive Revolution to Hegemony

“…The fourth measure taken to contain labour unrest is to promote democratic union elections at the plant level. However, some studies have found that these elections are only indirect and quasi-democratic, and are not necessarily able to pacify the aggrieved workers (Hui and Chan 2015).…”