Book excerpt: Continued economic prosperity in China and its international competitive advantage have been due in large part to the labor of workers in China, who for many years toiled in underregulated workplaces. More recently, labor law reforms have been praised for their progressive measures and, at the same time, blamed for placing too many economic burdens on companies, especially those operating on the margins, which in some cases have caused business failures. This, combined with the global downturn and the millions of displaced and unemployed Chinese migrant laborers, has created ongoing debate about the labor laws. Meanwhile, the Chinese Union has organized many of the Global Fortune 500 companies, and a form of collective bargaining is occurring. Workers are pursuing their legal labor rights in increasing numbers. This book provides a clear overview of the labor and employment law environment in China and its legal requirements, as well as practices under these laws used to deal with labor issues.