Essay
September 17, 2026
Does China Have Unions? Inside the ACFTU System
China's official union, the ACFTU, isn't independent — but on Guangdong's shop floors, plant-level bargaining is real. Here's how the system actually works.
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Editorial Archive
Working Class, Marxism & Labour Unions
Essays by Immanuel Ness on communism, labour unions, and the Chinese working class — from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping.
Featured Essay · September 17, 2026
Does China Have Unions? Inside the ACFTU System
China's official union, the ACFTU, isn't independent — but on Guangdong's shop floors, plant-level bargaining is real. Here's how the system actually works.
Read Feature →Latest Articles
September 1, 2026
On the Upstream Podcast: Dialectics of Chinese Labor
Immanuel Ness joins the Upstream podcast to discuss trade unions under market socialism, and why the ACFTU resists being read through a Western lens.
October 11, 2024
Shifts in Guangdong's Industrial Zones
An analysis of the recent wildcat strikes and how the ACFTU has responded to changing conditions on the factory floor.
September 27, 2024
The Myth of the Passive Worker
Deconstructing the media narrative that Chinese workers are docile — and looking at the evidence of grassroots organizing.
September 4, 2024
Organizing China's Delivery Workers
How the first digital food-delivery worker trade unions took shape in Shanghai, and what it means for the gig economy.
August 28, 2024
Book Launch & Lecture Tour
Join Immanuel Ness for a series of upcoming discussions on the arguments at the heart of Dialectics of Chinese Labor.