Workers in China do not have much choice when it comes to forming or joining a trade union. There is only one lawful trade union - the government-controlled All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) - that acts as the federating and representative body of all local union organisations. A 2012 report published by the Brusselsbased International Trade Union Confederation lamented that with the majority of their officials directed and indirectly appointed by the central government, the level of autonomy of most local unions in China remained low. The report alleged that many of the unions were controlled by factory managers. This in turn results in tight governmental and organisational control over unions' stances on issues of concern to employees. In January 2016, Chinese authorities detained seven labour activists in the southern province of Guangdong, alleging that they were 'inciting workers to go on strike', and 'disturbing public order'. In recent years, labour disputes have arisen in some industries due to an increase in workers' layoffs. The phenomenon is particularly evident in Guangdong province where a total of 412 strikes were recorded in 2015. The total number of strikes across the country grew from 1,379 incidents in 2014 to a total of 2,741 in 2015 . The government data also indicate an upsurge in labour disputes, with the country's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security stating that there were 1.56 millions registered cases in 2014, an increase of 4.1 per cent compared to that of 2013 . Overall, this indicates how China's unique sociopolitical and legal context affects employees' ability to safeguard their interests, particularly during economic recession and layoffs (Chan, 2016). Cheng Zhenqiang, the lawyer representing Zeng Feiyang, one of the activists arrested in Guandong, suggests that while the present crackdown is related to the economic downturn, the authorities have never really felt easy about nongovernmental organisations, especially labour rights NGOs (Clover, 2016).

Questions

1 How does China's unique context affect the shape of employment relations in that country?

2 Identify two or three key differences between employees' rights and choices in China and those in a Western democratic country?