Administered by the National Committee on United States-China Relations
on behalf of the United States Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Chinese Ministry of Labor
and Social Security (MOLSS) have joined in a three-year effort to assist
the Chinese government in its efforts to strengthen protection of workers'
rights and to comply with internationally recognized labor standards.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is part of a three-member
consortium that has been awarded a grant by the DOL to carry out various
aspects of the project. The National Committee's responsibilities under
the U.S.-China Labor Law Cooperation Project focus on improving the capabilities
of legislation and regulation drafters and the capabilities of labor inspectors,
both at the central and provincial levels.
The Labor Legislative Training Project will bring four Chinese labor
officials (two from the MOLSS, and two from provincial or directly administered
municipal governments) for month-long study placements at relevant U.S.
institutions. The purpose of the program, scheduled to begin in late September
or early October of 2005, is to help the Chinese participants develop
an understanding of labor-related laws and regulations and the process
by which they are drafted and enacted in the United States. The participants
in the program will be selected in consultation with our Chinese partner,
the MOLSS. National Committee staff will interview each participant to
ensure that he/she is proficient in English and will be independent and
proactive in his/her study efforts.
The program will begin with a weeklong orientation in Washington, D.C.
organized by the National Committee. During this first week, Chinese participants
will be given an overview of labor-related laws and regulations in the
United States and different aspects of the labor legislation and rulemaking
process and will have opportunities to meet with congressional staffers
from labor/workforce related sub-committees, federal and state government
officials, as well as academics, lobbyists, trade union staff involved
with regulatory issues.
Each participant in the program will then spend the next three weeks
based at a host U.S. institution/agency specializing in labor related
issues. Working closely with mentors, they will deepen their understanding
of labor laws and regulations and the labor legislation process in the
United States, including the roles played by non-governmental entities
such as academic, corporate, policy, legal and labor institutions. We
hope that this will also be an opportunity for host institutions to learn
about the labor law reform process in China.
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