Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), met with Xu Liuping, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), on Feb 19 to discuss strengthening cooperation, fostering harmonious labor relations, and improving the law-based business environment. 

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), meets with Xu Liuping, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), on Feb 19 to discuss strengthening cooperation, fostering harmonious labor relations, and improving the law-based business environment. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

During the meeting, Zhang expressed appreciation for the ACFTU's long-standing support for the work of courts and emphasized that safeguarding workers' legitimate rights and interests is a key judicial responsibility. As China enters a new phase of development, the demands for workers' rights protection have become increasingly diverse and complex, placing more stringent standards for judicial adjudication, he noted.

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People’s Court, delivers a speech at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Xu Liuping, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, speaks at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang said that people's courts nationwide will continue to strengthen their functions by ensuring fair adjudications, enhancing dispute resolution at early stages, and working closely with trade unions to develop diverse labor dispute resolution mechanisms, thereby effectively protecting legitimate labor rights. 

Zhang also called for closer coordination between courts and trade unions through professional training programs, the development of judicial interpretations and guidelines, and the publication of key case studies to  enhance the capacity for effectively resolving labor disputes. Both sides should leverage the "one letter, two documents" initiative to reinforce labor law enforcement at the grassroots level and improve data-sharing for more effective dispute resolution, Zhang said.

Xu highlighted the joint efforts made by trade unions and courts over the past year in advancing labor rights protection. He acknowledged significant progress achieved through the promotion of labor law enforcement, the digital transformation of trade union services, and the establishment of the "court + trade union" dispute resolution system. Moving forward, he stressed the importance of deepening collaboration, particularly by strengthening institutional mechanisms for labor rights protection, advancing the "one letter, two documents" initiative to ensure better implementation of labor laws at the grassroots level, and enhancing data-sharing capabilities to proactively address labor disputes.

The meeting was also attended by Liu Guixiang, a standing member of the SPC’s adjudication committee, Zhong Hongjiang, vice-chairman of the ACFTU, and other representatives from both sides.