Industrial relations in China: A review based on a six-party model

Research on industrial relations and labour in China has been relatively stagnant, partly because the classic tripartite model of industrial relations is unable to explain the facts. This article proposes a six-party model: following brief reviews of theory and China's industrial relations history, it introduces a new six-party taxonomy for the analysis of industrial relations in China. The actors, with their "Chinese characteristics", are the Party-State, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, employers' organizations, grass-roots unions, employers and employees. This model, the author argues, provides a useful tool for capturing a broader picture of China's evolving industrial relations.