lørdag 3. mai 2025

State Media Reminds Workers that Labor Rights Are “Granted” by the Party

A series of state-media reports on the theme of the May 1 International Workers Day provide a window into the CCP’s perception of labor rights in China. This week, China Daily published a series of quotes by Xi Jinping to bolster the claim that he “has consistently praised the contributions of workers and emphasized the protection of their rights and interests.” 

The main story on the first two pages of the People’s Daily on Tuesday drew heavily from a speech delivered by Xi at an official gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the All-China Federation of Unions. Manoj Kewalramani at Tracking People’s Daily highlighted important parts of the speech, much of which praised the CCP’s achievements in advancing labor rights, but some which emphasized the dominance of the CCP over China’s labor movement and trade unions.