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ordinances in the past virtually prevented the employment of full-
time organisers and negotiators, subscriptions are generally too
low to permit even substantial unions to maintain an effective
staff. Few unions have anything in nature of a formal "shop floor"
organisation: they typically operate through (relatively) large
local branches or general meetings in the case of smaller
societies. I was usually told that normal branch meetings consisted
only of officers and committee members, with a large attendance
only for annual general meetings, which were commonly combined
with a dinner or social function. And neither individual unions
nor the two major federations have systematic programmes, either
in the sense of proposals for social improvement or as a basis for
the negotiation of periodic revisions in their members' terms of
employment. Industrially (with one or two exceptions of
individual unions, again) they are remarkable for their lack of
normal trade union militancy.
Thus, the dominant left-wing grouping, the F.T.U., offers
its members discounts in Peking-owned stores, special "light bus"
services and reading centres, lectures on and trips to China, some
schools for members' children, and so on. It appears, in fact,
despite the nearly 100 unions affiliated or "friendly" to it,
comparatively centrally-organised, operating largely through its
five biggest unions, which have about 25 "branch offices" where
an official will usually be found, at least in the evenings.
Any worker, irrespective of his trade, can go to any branch in case
of a grievance or dispute; the branch will report the matter to
F.T.U. headquarters, which will assign an officer from an
appropriate affiliate to advise the worker or group involved.
/But
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