As China prepared for the May Day holiday, President Xi Jinping, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended and delivered a significant speech at a grand gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and to honour model workers and exemplary individuals.
The gathering was presided over by Premier Li Qiang and attended by other senior leaders. A total of 1,670 people were honoured as national role model workers, and 756 were recognised as exemplary individuals.
In his speech, Xi said that as the May 1st, International Labour Day is approaching, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, reviewing and summarising the glorious course and great achievements of the country’s workers’ movement, commending national model workers and advanced workers, and aiming to further mobilise and inspire the country’s working class and the broad masses of working people to forge ahead on a new journey.
He said that on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, he would like to pay high tribute to the revolutionary martyrs and the older generation of trade union leaders who have made outstanding historical contributions to the Party’s labour movement.
“I would like to extend my sincere greetings to the workers, farmers, intellectuals and other working people of all ethnic groups across the country, to trade union organisations at all levels and all trade union workers. I would like to extend holiday greetings to friends in the trade unions and labour circles in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan. I would like to extend warm congratulations to the national model workers and advanced workers who have been commended.
“At the same time, on behalf of the Chinese working class and the broad masses of working people, I would like to extend my best wishes to the working class and the broad masses of working people all over the world.”
He noted that, on May 1, 1925, according to the decision of the CPC Central Committee, the Second National Labour Congress opened in Guangzhou, announcing the formal establishment of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
During the New Democratic Revolution, the Chinese trade unions united and mobilised the broad masses of workers to bravely throw themselves into the revolutionary torrent against imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism with a fearless revolutionary spirit. They fought bravely and made important contributions to achieving national independence and people’s liberation and establishing the new China.
During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese trade unions united and mobilised the broad masses of workers to actively participate in the construction of New China with a sense of ownership and passion, worked hard and built enterprises with arduous efforts, and sang the strong voice of the times that “we workers are powerful”. They made important contributions to consolidating the new people’s political power, establishing the basic socialist system, and advancing socialist construction.
In the new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernisation, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has united and mobilised the broad masses of workers to shoulder the mission of the main force, actively participated in reform and opening up, and been enterprising and willing to make sacrifices, making important contributions to liberating and developing social productive forces and building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
“The 100 years since the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions have been 100 years of combining Marxist labour movement theory with the concrete reality of the Chinese workers’ movement, and 100 years of the Chinese working class and trade union organisations unswervingly following the Party and working together to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Practice has fully proved that the Chinese working class is worthy of being the most solid and reliable class foundation of the Communist Party of China, the leading class of our socialist country, the representative of advanced productive forces and production relations, and the main force in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics…. No matter how the conditions of the times and social groups develop and change, the status and role of the country’s working class cannot be shaken, the fundamental policy of relying wholeheartedly on the working class cannot be shaken, and the nature and functions of the country’s trade unions cannot be shaken.
“This path adheres to the Party’s overall leadership over the labour movement and trade union work, ensuring that the workers’ movement always moves in the right direction; adheres to the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, giving full play to the role of the working class as the main force; adheres to obeying and serving the Party’s central task, so that the workers’ movement and trade union work consciously act in the [interests of the] overall situation; adheres to the political, advanced and mass nature of trade union organisations, giving full play to the role of the Party as a bridge and link to the masses of workers; adheres to serving the masses of workers as the lifeline, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of workers and promoting their all-round development; adheres to carrying out work in accordance with the law and the constitution, and promotes trade union organisations and trade union work to continuously enhance vitality in keeping with the right path and making innovations.”
In the current situation, Xi said that we must adapt to the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation and comprehensively improve the quality of workers. This is an inevitable requirement for the Chinese working class, as the “most progressive class”, to always be at the forefront of the times. We must closely focus on implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talents, and the strategy of innovation-driven development, deeply implement the project of improving the quality of workers, deepen the reform of the construction of the industrial workers’ team, widely carry out labour and skills competitions, guide the majority of workers to learn throughout their lives, continuously improve their own quality, and strive to build a knowledge-based, skilled, and innovative army of workers.
In this way, China can create a good atmosphere of respecting labour, respecting knowledge, respecting talents, and respecting creation, and encourage all people to realise their yearning for a better life through hard work, honest work, and creative work.
“We should focus on promoting common prosperity and steadily improve the well-being of the vast number of workers and working people. Common prosperity must be achieved by the vast number of workers and be reflected in the vast number of workers. We must adhere to the people-centred development philosophy [and] create better employment and working conditions.”
Model workers and advanced workers, he said, are role models for the people and pillars of the country. For a long time, generation after generation of model workers and advanced workers have played a role in promoting the development of the cause and the progress of the times. We should further tell their stories and guide the whole society to learn from their deeds and carry forward their spirit.
“We must adhere to the work orientation of focusing on workers, serve the workers wholeheartedly and promote their all-round development. We must promote the improvement of labour laws and regulations, improve the democratic management system of enterprises and institutions with workers’ congresses as the basic form, actively build harmonious labour relations, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers. We must focus on key links such as skills training, income distribution, production safety, and labour protection, strive to improve the workers’ rights protection service system, and solve the urgent problems.”
He also said that: “We must actively carry out foreign exchanges, interactions and cooperation, and enhance friendship with workers from all countries.”
Drawing to a close, Xi said: “100 years ago, when the Second National Labour Congress successfully concluded, the slogan ‘Struggle, struggle, struggle to the end’ resounded throughout the venue, inspiring millions of working people to continue to struggle and forge ahead in the stormy revolutionary years. Today, the Party leads more than 1.4 billion people to march forward with high spirits on the new journey of Chinese-style modernisation. The times are different, and the missions and tasks have changed, but the spirit of hard work, unity and unremitting struggle will never change.”
The following is the full text of President Xi’s speech as published in the People’s Daily. It was published in Chinese and has been machine translated.
Comrades and friends,
As the May 1st, International Labor Day is approaching, we are gathered here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, review and summarize the glorious course and great achievements of my country’s workers’ movement, commend national model workers and advanced workers, and further mobilize and inspire my country’s working class and the broad masses of working people to forge ahead on a new journey and make contributions to the new era, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively promoting the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization.
First of all, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, I would like to pay high tribute to the revolutionary martyrs and the older generation of trade union leaders who have made outstanding historical contributions to the Party’s labor movement! I would like to extend my sincere greetings to the workers, farmers, intellectuals and other working people of all ethnic groups across the country, to trade union organizations at all levels and all trade union workers! I would like to extend holiday greetings to friends in the trade unions and labor circles in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan! I would like to extend warm congratulations to the national model workers and advanced workers who have been commended!
At the same time, on behalf of the Chinese working class and the broad masses of working people, I would like to extend my best wishes to the working class and the broad masses of working people all over the world!
Comrades and Friends!
On May 1, 1925, according to the decision of the CPC Central Committee, the Second National Labor Congress opened in Guangzhou, announcing the formal establishment of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Over the past 100 years, under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese trade unions have closely focused on the Party’s central tasks in various historical periods, united and mobilized the working class to keep up with the Party’s pace and stay ahead of the times, and have made immortal contributions in promoting the great cause of revolution, construction and reform, and written a magnificent chapter in my country’s workers’ movement.
During the New Democratic Revolution, the Chinese trade unions united and mobilized the broad masses of workers to bravely throw themselves into the revolutionary torrent against imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism with a fearless revolutionary spirit. They fought bravely and made important contributions to achieving national independence and people’s liberation and establishing the new China.
During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese trade unions united and mobilized the broad masses of workers to actively participate in the construction of New China with a sense of ownership and passion, work hard and start businesses with arduous efforts, and sang the strong voice of the times that “we workers are powerful”. They made important contributions to consolidating the new people’s political power, establishing the basic socialist system, and advancing socialist construction.
In the new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has united and mobilized the broad masses of workers to shoulder the mission of the main force, actively participated in reform and opening up, and been enterprising and willing to make sacrifices, making important contributions to liberating and developing social productive forces and building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has made a series of important expositions on the working class and trade union work, deployed and promoted a series of important tasks, profoundly answered a series of directional, fundamental and strategic questions, further enriched and developed the Party’s labor movement theory, and promoted the Party’s labor movement to achieve historic achievements and all-round progress. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has united and mobilized the broad masses of workers to be self-confident and self-reliant in the attitude of strugglers, bravely shoulder heavy responsibilities, and show their talents in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, making important contributions to building a well-off society in an all-round way as scheduled and promoting Chinese-style modernization.
The 100 years since the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions have been 100 years of combining Marxist labor movement theory with the concrete reality of the Chinese workers’ movement, and 100 years of the Chinese working class and trade union organizations unswervingly following the Party and working together to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Practice has fully proved that the Chinese working class is worthy of being the most solid and reliable class foundation of the Communist Party of China, the leading class of our socialist country, the representative of advanced productive forces and production relations, and the main force in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. my country’s trade unions are worthy of being the bridge and link between the Party and the working masses, the important social pillar of the socialist state power, and the representative and defender of the interests of the workers. No matter how the conditions of the times and social groups develop and change, the status and role of my country’s working class cannot be shaken, the fundamental policy of relying wholeheartedly on the working class cannot be shaken, and the nature and functions of my country’s trade unions cannot be shaken.
Over the past 100 years, the most important achievement of the Party’s theoretical innovation and practical development in the labor movement is the formation of a socialist trade union development path with Chinese characteristics. This path adheres to the Party’s overall leadership over the labor movement and trade union work, ensuring that the workers’ movement always moves in the right direction; adheres to the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, giving full play to the role of the working class as the main force; adheres to obeying and serving the Party’s central task, so that the workers’ movement and trade union work consciously act in the overall situation; adheres to the political, advanced and mass nature of trade union organizations, giving full play to the role of the Party as a bridge and link to the masses of workers; adheres to serving the masses of workers as the lifeline, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of workers and promoting their all-round development; adheres to carrying out work in accordance with the law and the constitution, and promotes trade union organizations and trade union work to continuously enhance vitality in keeping with the right path and making innovations. These are the profound summaries of the Party’s valuable experience in leading the labor movement and trade union work over the past 100 years, and must be adhered to for a long time.
Comrades and Friends!
The 20th CPC National Congress clearly defined the central task of comprehensively advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. This central task is the theme of the times for the workers’ movement in my country. The new era and new journey must focus on the central task of the Party and gather the tremendous strength of the working class and the broad masses of working people.
We must focus on promoting high-quality development, mobilize and encourage the broad masses of workers and laborers to make contributions and innovate. High-quality development is inseparable from high-quality labor creation. We must combine the development of new quality productivity, thoroughly implement the new development concept, widely carry out various contributions and mass innovation and creation activities, organize and guide the broad masses of workers to base themselves on their posts, overcome difficulties in the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, forge ahead in the development and growth of emerging industries, and boldly explore in the cultivation and growth of future industries, so as to continuously inject new momentum into building a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development.
We must adapt to the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation and comprehensively improve the quality of workers. This is an inevitable requirement for the Chinese working class, as the “most progressive class”, to always be at the forefront of the times. We must closely focus on implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talents, and the strategy of innovation-driven development, deeply implement the project of improving the quality of workers, deepen the reform of the construction of the industrial workers’ team, widely carry out labor and skills competitions, guide the majority of workers to learn throughout their lives, continuously improve their own quality, and strive to build a knowledge-based, skilled, and innovative army of workers.
We must deeply practice the core socialist values and vigorously promote the spirit of model workers, the spirit of labor, and the spirit of craftsmanship. The spirit of model workers, the spirit of labor, and the spirit of craftsmanship forged by the working class and the broad masses of working people in their long-term struggle are a vivid embodiment of the core socialist values. We must vigorously promote the social trend that labor is the most glorious, the most noble, the greatest, and the most beautiful, create a good atmosphere of respecting labor, respecting knowledge, respecting talents, and respecting creation, and encourage all people to realize their yearning for a better life through hard work, honest work, and creative work.
We should focus on promoting common prosperity and steadily improve the well-being of the vast number of workers and working people. Common prosperity must be achieved by the vast number of workers and reflected in the vast number of workers. We must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, create better employment and working conditions, promote high-quality employment, orderly increase the weight of labor, skills, knowledge, innovation and other factors in income distribution, and continuously enhance the sense of gain, happiness and security of the vast number of workers and working people.
Model workers and advanced workers are role models for the people and pillars of the country. For a long time, generation after generation of model workers and advanced workers have played a role in promoting the development of the cause and the progress of the times. We should further tell their stories and guide the whole society to learn from their deeds and carry forward their spirit. We hope that the commended model workers and advanced workers will cherish the honor, maintain their true colors, continue to work hard and make new contributions.
Comrades and Friends!
The century-old trade unions are standing at a new historical starting point. The Party and the country have high hopes for trade unions, and the workers are full of expectations for trade unions. Trade unions at all levels must fully implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, promote the high-quality development of trade union work, and write a more magnificent chapter in the era of my country’s labor movement.
We must adhere to the correct political direction and unite the broad masses of workers and laborers closely around the Party. We must resolutely safeguard the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee and implement the Party’s leadership in the entire process and all aspects of trade union work. We must persist in using the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics to arm our minds, guide our practice, and promote our work. We must resolutely shoulder the political responsibility of leading the workers and the masses to listen to and follow the Party, work hard to rally people’s hearts, resolve contradictions, and stimulate motivation, and constantly consolidate the class and mass foundation of the Party’s governance.
We must adhere to the work orientation of focusing on workers, serve the workers wholeheartedly and promote their all-round development. We must promote the improvement of labor laws and regulations, improve the democratic management system of enterprises and institutions with workers’ congresses as the basic form, actively build harmonious labor relations, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers. We must focus on key links such as skills training, income distribution, production safety, and labor protection, strive to improve the workers’ rights protection service system, and solve the urgent problems of the vast number of workers with heart, emotion and strength.
We must deepen the reform and construction of trade unions, and constantly enhance our leadership, organizational and service capabilities. We must comprehensively strengthen the Party building of the trade union system, and build a team of high-quality and professional trade union cadres who are loyal, clean and responsible. We must firmly grasp the reform direction of enhancing political, advanced and mass characteristics, build a strong organizational system, expand service areas, and innovate working methods, and always be a close friend and family member trusted by the workers and the masses. We must actively carry out foreign exchanges, interactions and cooperation, and enhance friendship with workers from all countries.
The labor movement is an important part of the party’s cause. Party committees at all levels should strengthen and improve their leadership over trade unions, promptly study and resolve major issues in trade union work, and create favorable conditions for trade unions to perform their duties.
Comrades and Friends!
100 years ago, when the Second National Labor Congress successfully concluded, the slogan “Struggle, struggle, struggle to the end” resounded throughout the venue, inspiring millions of working people to continue to struggle and forge ahead in the stormy revolutionary years. Today, the Party leads more than 1.4 billion people to march forward with high spirits on the new journey of Chinese-style modernization. The times are different, and the missions and tasks have changed, but the spirit of hard work, unity and unremitting struggle will never change. Let us unite more closely around the Party Central Committee, be down-to-earth, forge ahead, work hard and make contributions, embrace the new era with creativity, create new glory with struggle, and turn the grand blueprint of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into reality step by step!
Absolutely, Honorable Comrade President.
Thank you 🙏