What is the situation of independent trade unions in China?
Han: The independent trade union idea was started in China in 1989, though it lasted for just two weeks. Many people have continued to organize. In our trade union, when the people were released [from jail], they still thought of themselves as members of the organization. For example, in 1992 there were some people arrested in May [for trade union activities]. They formed an underground trade union called China’s Free Trade Union. They sent a speech underground to an ILO conference in Geneva. Someone read the speech there, so they were arrested and were sentenced from three to 20 years. The movement is coming from the workers themselves. We don’t want to be led by the Communist Party anymore, we want ourselves to organize a trade union. Tiananmen Square was just the beginning of that. MM: What sectors of the economy have active independent trade union movements? Han: I cannot say there is a movement. I can only say that there is a background and an environment for an independent trade
