TRADE UNIONS UNDER THE MODERNIZATION OF PATERNALIST RULE IN CHINA

This article examines the organizational structure and functions of trade unions in China today. Previous literature on Chinese trade unions has focused on the debate over whether or not the organizations serve workers' interests, and whether or not they are independent from the state apparatus. Based on ethnographic interviews and document analysis, I present three major findings: (1) unions are not independent from the state, but the changing role of the state enables unions to promote workers' legal rights and welfare; (2) unions are no longer monolithic; there is a discrepancy between the rhetoric of government unions and the practice of enterprise unions; and (3) the absence of independent workers' organizations leaves workers no choice but to rely on the state and unions for protection and social justice. I argue that the dominant paternalistic ideology, clothed in modern rhetoric, is key to understanding these findings.