Shanghai to set up employee representative consultation ahead

BEIJING, Jan. 9 -- The Shanghai Trade Union wants more than 70 percent of non-public enterprises with trade unions to set up the system of employee representative consultation this year.

The union said yesterday at a conference on democratic management that they aim to build 2008 into the "year of establishing employee representative consultation system."

According to the plan, all companies under local public ownership should complete setting up the system by the end of this year.

The 500 Fortune companies in Shanghai are the main targets for establishing such system, said the union.

Since the Labor Contract Law took effect on January 1, businesses should set up a collective consultation system to hold meetings, said the Shanghai Trade Union.

Under the system, when employers make important decisions on issues such as salary, holidays, training and insurance, they should put their plans to a meeting attended by representatives of workers for discussion.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)