On October 26, the conference on "Building Harmonious Labor Relations and the Role of Trade Unions in the Tripartite Mechanism of Labor Relations" hosted by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Japan International Labor Foundation and organized by the CULR was held in Room 509 of Zhiyuan Building. Chen Linglang, Deputy Director of the International Department of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and Masayuki Shioda, Executive Director of the Japan International Labor Foundation, attended the meeting online. More than 40 people, including officials from the International Department of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Japan International Labor Foundation, faculty and students from the School of Public Policy and Management at the CULR, and staff from the International Office of Cooperation and Exchange, participated in the conference online or offline.

Deputy Director Chen Linglang pointed out in his speech that China and Japan have established good communication mechanisms. Taking the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 2022 as an opportunity, China was willing to further strengthen communication and exchanges with Japan, deepen cooperation, and make greater contributions to promoting exchanges in the field of labor relations between the two countries, improving the welfare of workers in both countries, and advancing the development of regional and international labor movements. Executive director Masayuki Shioda stated that China and Japan had a long history of economic and cultural exchanges. This exchange activity further enhanced the exchange and cooperation between the two sides in the field of labor relations. He hoped that the two countries could fully leverage the promoting role of their trade union organizations, and continuously promote and improve the protection of the rights and interests of workers in both countries.

During the conference, Executive Director Masayuki Shioda delivered a presentation on "Labor Relations and Labor Law System in Japan (with a focus on the tripartite mechanism)," reviewing the history of the labor movement in Japan, introducing the labor-management negotiation system in Japan, analyzing the differences between labor-management negotiation system and collective negotiation, explaining the development and changes in labor-management relations in Japan, and sharing recent research topics of the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT). Mr. Naohiro Tsuji, a project officer from the Japan International Labor Foundation, presented on "Government Response Policies to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Assistance for Non-Regular Workers in Japan," introducing the changes in the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in Japan, analyzing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market, elaborating on the main measures taken by the Japanese government and trade unions to address the crisis, and using UberEats as an example to illustrate the development of new employment models in Japan's digital economy. Associate Professor Li Xingguo, Vice Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at the CULR, presented on "Tripartite Consultation Mechanism of Labor Relations in China and the Role of Trade Unions," introducing the development process of the tripartite consultation mechanism in China, explaining the characteristics, responsibilities, and roles of the tripartite consultation mechanism, interpreting the role of trade unions in the tripartite consultation mechanism from the perspective of the Trade Union Law, sharing important insights on promoting the modernization of labor relations governance and national governance in China, such as safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of workers, improving labor policies, developing socialist consultative democracy, and achieving win-win cooperation between labor and capital.

During the exchange session, faculty and students from the CULR actively interacted and engaged in lively discussions with the Japanese representatives, exploring topics such as the operation mechanism and role of central and local labor relations committees in Japan, the projects and funding sources of the Japan International Labor Foundation, mechanisms and measures in Japan to curb the wealth gap, labor relations identification of platform workers in Japan, how to apply for work-related injury insurance, and the legal and policy effectiveness of the tripartite consultation mechanism in China.

The Japan International Labor Foundation (JILAF) was established in 1989 with joint funding from labor unions in Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan to engage in international labor exchange activities. Invited by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the foundation has visited our university several times to conduct academic exchanges and seminars.

(International Office of Cooperation and Exchange)