Is the ACFTU a Union and Does it Matter?

Abstract

This article seeks to examine whether the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is a trade union organization, with implications for foreign unions, governments and other parties seeking to engage it. After examining the international context of pressure on China, the article will briefly outline the historical and present structure of the ACFTU and examine the problems the ACFTU faces in carrying out its functions. The article will argue through a number of criteria of union characteristics that the ACFTU is not a union. This is a more fundamental position than arguing the ACFTU is not an independent union. However, because the ACFTU is a state organ, closely subordinated to the Chinese Communist Party, foreign engagement can potentially lead to positive results for China's domestic labour. Finally, the article will briefly make suggestions for constructive engagement with the ACFTU as a state organ rather than as a union.