Revision of Trade Union Law: For Better Protection of Workers' Rights and Interests

On October 27, 2001, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted a decision on revision of the People's Republic of China Trade Union Law. Guan Huai, legal advisor to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, had the following to say in an interview with the Human Rights:

No country is an island in regulating food safety:How the WTO monitors Chinese food safety laws through the Trade Policy Review Mechanism(TPRM)

Established within the framework of the World Trade Organization （WTO）, the Trade Policy Review Mechanism （TPRM） reviews periodically the trade policies of all WTO Members. The review includes many aspects of food safety regulation. China＇s trade policy is reviewed every two years. This paper analyses in detail the reviews of China＇s trade policy in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. It focuses in particular on food safety laws and types of standards, alignment of domestic standards with international standards, the role of different domestic institutions, transparency and notification of food safety measures under the WTO agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures （SPS） and on Technical Barriers to Trade （TBTAgreement）, import and export, and geographical indications （GIs）. It concludes that the WTO TPRM can contribute, within its mandate, to reform of Chinese food safety laws and improvement of food safety in China. it notes that China has already undertaken substantial reforms of its system for regulating food safety. It recommends that China should continue to participate actively in the TPRM, follow its own path with regard to alignment and learn selectively from other WTO Members.

On the Eve of the Enforcement of the Arbitration Law——An interview with Xu Dayou, vice-chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission

The Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China will go into effect on September 1, 1995, which has become the focus of world attention. This is an important law promulgated by China for handling economic disputes. All the parties concerned are making intense preparations for the successful enforcement of the Law. As the first nongovernmental organisation engaged in arbitration affairs, the China Council

Chinese Trade Unions:Shifting Priority from Corporate Interest to Employee Interest

With rising labor disputes over recent years,the role of Chinese trade unions has come to the spotlight of public attention.Based on the latest practices of labor relations in China,this paper employs such methods as text analysis,treatment effect model and instrumental variable to theoretically and empirically demonstrate the shifting role of trade unions in China.Our findings suggest that:(1)Trade unions have lived up to their mandate of protecting employee interest,and have significantly improved employee benefits.(2)Trade unions are no longer preoccupied with corporate interest as they did in a previous period and have restored their role as labor organizations.(3)With the shifting priority of the Party and government,administrative affiliation may propel the transition of operational and organizational models of trade unions,and contribute to rather than impede the shift in trade union functions.Thus,the Party and government should enhance leadership over trade union organizations to create harmonious labor relations.

Chinese Trade Unions Strive to Protect Workers' Rights and Interests in Dealing with the Global Financial Crisis

Protecting the rights and interests of workers and staff members constitutes an important aspect of China＇s human rights protection. At the time when the country is dealing with impacts of the global financial crisis, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has been working fruitfully and effectively to accelerate economic and social development and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers, therefore making contributions to the protection of the rights and interests of Chinese workers. Now I would like to make a brief introduction on this subject.

The Diffusion of Bilateral Tendencies in the Common Trade Policy of the European Union During the Global Financial and Economic Crisis

In this research work, the author focuses on the analysis of the diffusion of bilateral tendencies in the common trade policy of the European Union （EU） during the global financial and economic crisis. Realistic point is important trends in the trade regime during the economic crisis. The decisions taken by the representatives of the governments participating in the World Trade Organisation （WTO） are, to a significant degree, influenced by various lobbies, such as organisations and unions of food producers or other non-governmental organisations, including trade unions, The main objective of the research task is to give a comprehensive analysis of the international trade policy during the world financial and economic crisis 2008-2010. The particular mains concern the political economy models of foreign trade policy, protectionistic pressures in different political system, the level of protectionistic pressures, food producer pressures, international trade liberalization, and environmental protection bilateral tendencies in the common trade policy of the EU and the respond of the EU to the economic crisis, it must be emphasized that on a theoretical level, understanding the choice of trade policies between liberalizm and protectionisme is very important. Despite the undeniable benefits of the multilateral WTO forum for trade liberalisation, the rapid increase of North-South bilateral and multilateral Free Trade Areas （FTAs） begs a systematic explanation for why some forums are prioritized relative to others.

Chat on China's Foreign Trade Laws

In the past four decades since the founding of New China, China’s foreign trade has witnessed significant achievements. But effective law covering foreign trade has not been enacted for various reasons. As China’s foreign trade reform deepens and trade develops further, it is imperative to update the law to conform with China’s return to signatory membership of Gatt.

The Management and Use of Trade Union Funds in Public Institutions

Trade union funds are the basis and guarantee for various activities in public institutions.It is of great significance to constantly enhance the vitality of trade unions and the competitiveness of public institutions to continuously improve the management and use of trade union funds,thus giving full play to the role of trade union funds to better serve workers.This paper analyzes the management and use of trade union funds in the present situation and proposes several measures for improvement.

分离膜的Trade-off效应及其突破研究进展

综述通过文献调研,对膜材料在水通量与污染物截留效率之间存在的此消彼长的Trade-off效应进行分析,并对近几年国内外突破分离膜Trade-off效应的方法进行了总结。结果表明,膜表面接枝两性离子技术、非溶剂诱导相分离技术、结构改性技术、物理共混技术、表面涂覆技术等可以突破该技术瓶颈。而物理共混技术表现出非常优异的效果,且该技术方法相对简便,无需更新设备,易于实施,制备出的膜材料具有良好的机械性能和产水能力。综述为高效分离膜的开发提供了新的技术思路,为膜技术的应用和推广提供有益的技术借鉴。

More Than 66 Mln Chinese Migrant Workers Join Trade Unions

According to figures recently released by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, more than 66.74 million Chinese migrant workers, people who come from rural areas and land jobs in cities, became trade union members. The federation estimated there are 210 million migrant workers nationwide with the country＇s rural population of 900 million. The total number of trade union members increased from 123 million in 2003 to 209 million by the end of June 2008, said the federation.

Blue Paper on the Role of Chinese Trade Unions in Safeguarding the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Workers 2004 (Excerpt)

During the course of 2004, the Chinese trade unions earnestly implemented their strategy of ＂Organizing for Better Protection,＂ steppedup efforts to regulate industrial relations, effectively defended the legitimate rights and interests of workers.

Blue Paper on the Role of Chinese Trade Unions in Safeguarding the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Workers (2005)(Excerpt)

EDITOR＇S NOTE： All China Federation of Trade Unions （ACFTU） has recently published Blue Paper on the Role of Chinese Trade Unions in Safeguarding the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Workers （2005）, which consist of 11 parts： preserve the correct orientation of Chinese trade unions as a protector of workers＇ legitimate rights and interests; protect workers＇ right to join and form trade union; organize and represent workers to exercise the right to equal consultation; protect workers＇ labor and economic rights; guarantee workers＇ democratic and political rights; fulfill workers＇ spiritual and cultural needs; actively participate in adjusting labor relations and handling labor disputes; protect migrant workers＇ legitimate rights and interests; promote gender equality and protect women workers＇ special rights and interests; take innovations in the way trade unions protect workers; and mobilize and organize workers to play the role of the working class as the main force in economic construction, and the following is an abstracted edition of it.

台湾储蓄互助社规模与成长之研究——Gibrat's Law应用

本文系探讨台湾储蓄互助社规模与成长间关系有否符合吉尔伯特法则(Gibrat's Law),利用1996年至2007年储互社纵横资料(panel data)分析台湾310家储蓄互助社的资产总额、社员人数及教育支出等变数。经由Levin,Lin&Chu及IPS单根检定结果发现,台湾储互社规模变量皆拒绝虚无假设,且呈现定态不具有单根的现象,此显示出台湾储蓄互助社规模与其成长实际上具有关联性,隐含了储互社成长没有随机漫步现象也不符合吉尔伯特法则,表示台湾储互社长期无需集中扩大增加其规模。

Illegal Logging and Related Trade: Who Combat It as Legal Subjects?

Issue on illegal logging and related trade is a hot topic for the international community. It has brought the negative effects to the sustainable development on global society, economy and ecology, which is also one of the main objectives of international cooperation to combat with. At present, subjects of international law play a decisive role in combating illegal logging and related trade. The subjects of international law generally refer to states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and part of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which can have an independent international legal personality, enjoy rights and assume obligations of international law. As a responsible big country of the international community and state member of intergovernmental organizations and international treaties of forest resources protection, China ought to fully perform the obligations of international law. In face of illegal logging and related trade around the world, China should rationally tackle with it, resolutely crack down on it, and finally choose the sustainable development strategy based on rule of law.

Sino-European Trade Competition in Latin America and the Caribbean

The article studies trade in goods between China and the Latin American and Caribbean （LAC） countries and between the European Union （EU） and LAC during the years from 2000 to 2013. From the beginning of the 21st century, big changes in LAC＇s trade patterns have been observed. The article contains possible explanation of them. The analysis is based on the ECLAC （Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean） data. Merchandise trade between China and LAC grew significantly over the period from 2000 to 2013. In 2013, the value of merchandise exports from China was higher than from the EU-28 in the case of 12 LAC countries. Chinese imports of goods surpassed the European ones in five countries in the region. In order to increase its exports of manufactured goods and imports of natural resources and agricultural commodities, China combines trade arrangements with foreign aid policy. Besides, a rapid development of bilateral diplomatic ties between China and LAC is observed. The EU-LAC trade relations have worsened during the last decade mainly due to financial crisis and development of the EU-Asia trade relations.

Impact of Prevailing Wages on the Cost among the Various Construction Trades

In 1997, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 102 which established the Ohio School Facilities Commission as a separate agency to oversee the rebuilding projects of the public schools in Ohio. The bill also exempted the construction contractors from paying prevailing wages on these projects on the hypothesis that this exemption would lower the construction cost. The purpose of this study is to investigate this hypothesis through the statistical analysis of 8,093 bids received from the years 2000 through 2007 for the schools＇ construction. Union contractors who paid their workers union wages and non-union contractors who did not pay prevailing wages bid these projects. The hypothesis, that prevailing wage laws increased the construction cost, was tested by comparing the bids/SF （square foot） from both groups （union and nonunion） for the different construction trades. The study indicated that there was statistical significant difference between the bids/square foot for union contractors and the bids/square foot for non-union contractors for only the following trades： earthwork, existing conditions, plumbing, electrical and HVAC （heating, ventilation and air conditioning）. The averages of bids/SF from the union contractors were higher than those from the non-union contractors for earthwork, existing conditions and plumbing works, and the opposite for electrical and HVAC works. There was no statistical significant difference in the bids from the communications, concrete, conveying equipment, electronic safety and security, equipment, finishes, fire suppression, furnishings, masonry, openings, structural steel, thermal and moisture protection, plastics and composites and wood works.

Cargo Delivery without Presentation of the Bill of Lading in Chinese Maritime Law and Practice

This chapter examines the Chinese practice of delivery of the cargo without presentation of the bill of lading and the law and regulations governing that practice, and in the gaps left by laws and regulations, the approach established by the legal authorities and maritime courts. The necessities and causes for this risky action and possible suggestions will be considered, as will the approach of statute and judiciary. Potential and desirable reform will be discussed in light of the Rotterdam Rules. It is concluded that in order to facilitate cargo delivery, there would be a need to provide detailed legal guidance applicable to the many situations where the requisite documentation has failed to materialise.

Representation of Polish Business Groups in the Institutional System of the European Union

This article is an attempt to present and explain the role played by the Polish business groups in the institutional system of the European Union （EU）.This article presents the forms of representing the interests of Polish business groups in the institutional system of the European Union.