Union membership (%) by country

This is really interesting. I didn't realize that unions are such a large part of the workforce in China.

Thanks Natalie. There is a lot of debate about unionism in China. Some would argue that this figure should be excluded altogether, because Chinese unions are not independent from the state. There is also evidence that the figures have been artificially inflated during the All-China Federation of Trade Union's recruitment drive in foreign multinationals. Others would say that the recent change in China's labour laws signifies a new role and direction for unions; that they are in the process of becoming a genuine voice and a social force for workers. This debate will not disappear in a hurry. However we live in an age of globalisation, and many of these workers used to be members in other countries. We believe that the worst thing we could do is to perpetuate the Cold War line that Chinese unions simply don't exist.

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