W(h)ither the Trade Unions in China?

Trade unions have figured prominently in much of the social turmoil that has erupted periodically in the Chinese communist system since its inception in 1949. Involvement in critical economic and political debates, leadership purges and struggles for sheer survival have characterized the unions whose future still remains uncertain. Some insights into their possible fate may be gleaned from an analysis of the theoretical tenets and practical experience of trade unionism in China.