Experimentation and decentralization in China’s labor relations

Abstract

In this introduction to the special issue 'Changing work, labour and employment relations in China', we argue that China is taking an experimental and decentralized approach to the development of new labor relations frameworks. Particular political constraints in China prevent interest aggregation among workers, as the central state sees this as posing a risk to social stability. Firms and local governments have been given a degree of space to experiment with different arrangements, as long as the categorical ban on independent unions is not violated. The consequence has been an increasingly differentiated labor relations landscape, with significant variation by region and sector. We note some countervailing tendencies towards re-centralization, but emphasize that this phenomenon remains largely confined to the municipal level. The five articles in this special issue address different aspects of both experimentation and decentralization in labor relations.

Enhancing firm performance through internal market orientation and employee organizational commitment

“…As the largest emerging economy in the world, China has a work force of 769.77 million people (China National Bureau of Statistics, 2014) and the current Chinese labor market is experiencing unprecedented instability due to significant social and economic changes (Friedman & Kuruvilla, 2015). Employee turnover ranks among the highest in the World, at approximately 18% in 2015World, at approximately 18% in (51jobs.…”

“…com, 2016. This may be because the new generation of Chinese workers have very different values and interests of employment, compared with those some 20 years earlier (Friedman & Kuruvilla, 2015). Such high employee turnover is a pressing matter for firms operating in China, as they grapple to manage employee retention.…”

How women have fared in the labour market with China's rise as a global economic power

“…This success has been attributed to the development of the legal system and job recruitment agencies. The central government and the All‐China Federation of Trade Unions are making efforts to ensure that local governments and firms are accountable for enforcement (Friedman & Kuruvilla, ).…”

Oligopolistic suppliers, symbiotic value chains and workers' bargaining power: labour contestation in South China at an ascendant global footwear firm

“…The shift away from a centrally planned economy in the 1970s empowered increasingly autonomous provinces to institute market reforms. The result was a race to the bottom, with the most 'successful' provinces serving as 'models' and promoted across China (Friedman and Kuruvilla 2015). Decentralization has fostered a space in which capital can remain meaningfully autonomous of a central state while becoming increasingly integrated into the provincial government.…”