Free Site Registration


More Debits & Credits Posts

Big Four Firms May be Pushed to Unionize in China

Print
Email
Reprints
By Michael Cohn
March 8, 2013

China’s official trade union organization is planning to unionize the Big Four accounting firms.

The Shanghai chapter of the government-backed All-China Federation of Trade Unions has its sights set on unionizing the Chinese member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, according to Reuters. The union already has representation in about 91 percent of foreign companies, so the move into the Big Four firms would seem natural, especially as Shanghai grows into more of a financial center for the country.

However, don’t expect to see any picket signs in front of the PwC offices in Shanghai. Independent trade unions are not sanctioned in China, and the state-sanctioned unions tend to take management’s side in labor disputes, while activists for labor rights risk imprisonment. The purpose of the union is generally to connect employees with the ruling Communist party and in some cases they collect money for employee social functions.

So while the parties at the Big Four firms in China may get a little more lavish, the employees will still be doing the same work for the same pay.

0 Comments

Be the first to comment on this post using the section below.

Add Your Comments...

Already Registered?

If you have already registered to Debits & Credits, please use the form below to login. When completed you will immeditely be directed to post a comment.

Forgot your password?

Not Registered?

You must be registered to post a comment. Click here to register.


Follow Accounting Today
Advertisement
Advertisement

Women in Accounting: Where are the Leading Ladies?

May 17, 2013

Marcum’s Nanette Lee Miller and Janis Cowhey McDonagh sat down with managing editor Tamika Cody to discuss some of the obstacles women in the accounting profession face when trying to make their way into leadership positions.

IMA’s Jeff Thomson on the Role and Skills of Management Accountants

May 8, 2013

Institute of Management Accountants president and CEO Jeffrey Thomson discusses why accounting students should consider management accounting as a career, and the IMA's partnership with John Wiley & Sons.

Breaking out of Molds to Get Ahead

May 6, 2013

ConvergenceCoaching partner Jennifer Wilson talks with Accounting Today senior editor Danielle Lee about how female accountants can position themselves better for a promotion at their firms.

Advertisement

SLIDE SHOW

Top 10 Tech Initiatives -- 2013

May 5, 2013

The AICPA's annual list of IT priorities for accounting firms.

Tax Stats: May 2013

April 30, 2013

Our monthly collection of statistics from the world of tax.

10 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes

April 29, 2013

Help your clients avoid these common pitfalls.

Common E-mail Security Mistakes

April 23, 2013

These five bad habits can make your confidential information -- and that of your clients -- easy to steal.

The Art of the Tax Cartoon

April 9, 2013

A selection of tax cartoons from Philly tax firm Drucker & Scaccetti's 'Finding Humor in Taxes' exhibit.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement