Abstract

This paper aims at providing a historical overview of the development of Labour Law in China from the 1950s to present. There are arguably three stages in the transformation of Chinese employment relations during this period: the "three old irons" of lifetime employment and state provided welfare, fixed wages and state-controlled promotions (1050s- 1978); the emergence of an increasingly flexible labour market with contract-based employment relations (1979-1990s); a policy shift towards stabilising labour relations with laws that enhance worker protection and the development of collective consultation mechanisms (2001-present). The author examines the key features of each stage of change focusing on the latest Labour Law reforms undertaken in 2007-2008.