Union calls for regular pay rises

Officials from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), China’s only sanctioned labor union, have called for regular wage increases for workers to keep pace with rising inflation, state media reported. ACFTU Vice Chairman Zhang Mengqi said he had been working with government ministries on a mechanism to ensure stable increases. "We are trying to bring pay rises in line with economic growth," Zhang said. A recent survey conducted by the union found that the proportion of labor costs to China’s GDP had declined from 53.4% in 1990 to 41.4% in 2005.