Requirement will increase protection of workers' rights

Trade union leaders may soon be requested to release their contact information to members following a trial run of the practice in North China's Shanxi province, an official from the country's top labor organization said on Sunday.

The labor union in Shanxi province recently announced the requirement for heads of all local labor unions.

The All China Federation of Trade Unions is considering introducing this on a national basis, said Li Binsheng, a head of the federation's policy division.

However, Shanxi province cannot take credit for pioneering the project. That honor goes to Fujian province who made it a requirement in 2011.

"About 100,000 trade union officials, mainly chairpersons and their deputies, will gradually make public their office and cell phone numbers to members, providing contact information to about 7.5 million workers," an official surnamed Li from the Shanxi-All Federation of Trade Unions, told China Daily on Sunday.

"This contact information will be released in the work place, canteens and internal company communications," Li said.

Officials from the province's trade unions will be asked to wear identification badges in the workplace and place name cards on their desks.

About 90 percent of enterprises in Shanxi have set up their own labor unions, according to Li.