China: Seven Departments Issued Guidelines for Jointly Protecting the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Workers
On 19 May 2025, All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, China Enterprise Confederation, China Association of Enterprises jointly issued the Guidelines for Jointly Protecting the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Workers (the “Guidelines”). The aim is to further strengthen the protection of workers’ legitimate rights and interests, improve the consultation and coordination mechanism for employment relationships, and form a collaborative and coordinated synergy among multiple departments to maintain the stability of the workforce and the overall social harmony.
The Guidelines outlines eleven key tasks, clarifying the collaboration mechanisms and specific responsibilities of multiple departments in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of workers. The departments will jointly establish and improve systems for information sharing, joint research, and the release of typical cases, as well as jointly promote the formulation and revision of laws, regulations, and policy documents closely related to the rights and interests of workers. According to functional divisions, the departments will promptly provide legal and policy consultations, legal aid, and other legal services.
The Guidelines also emphasises the importance of coordinated labour law supervision, clearly stating the need to deepen the connection and collaboration between supervision, labour and social security supervision, labour safety and health inspections, and trade union labour law supervision.
The Guidelines particularly highlights the promotion of the development of emerging fields and the protection of the rights and interests of workers in new employment forms. The departments will jointly promote regular consultations between platform enterprises and workers in new employment forms and improve the consultation and coordination mechanisms for workers’ rights and interests.
The Work Guidelines stipulate that the All-China Federation of Trade Unions will organise exchange meetings and joint conferences with six departments annually. These meetings focus on jointly addressing major issues concerning workers’ vital interests, such as employment, skills training, income distribution, and social security.
Key Action Points
The issuance of the Guidelines represents an important signal in China’s field of labour security. It not only reflects the government’s high attention to the protection of workers’ rights and interests but also marks the initial establishment of a new mechanism characterised by multi-departmental coordination and joint management. By clarifying the responsibilities of various departments, establishing information-sharing and linkage mechanisms, and particularly emphasising the protection of workers’ rights and interests in emerging employment forms such as the platform economy, this move is both a positive response to real-world issues and a demonstration of the commitment to maintaining social equity, fairness, and harmonious stability. However, whether the guidelines can truly be implemented effectively depends on the subsequent execution efforts and collaborative cooperation of all departments, as well as the ability to effectively address the complex challenges brought by new employment forms.
