Rights interest litigation, socio-economic rights, and chinese labor law reform

With the global economic slowdown unveiling the systemic limits of its foundations, the Chinese miracle is deeply questioned by popular unrest and publicly voiced aspirations. Strikes and protests are indeed erupting at an unprecedented rate everywhere in China. This wave of revolts against an economic system and a political regime perceived both as unjust and repressive is taken very seriously by Chinese leaders who fear this popular dissent could undermine the much-needed social stability. Unwilling to turn towards a different political* This paper is part of the results of the Research Project on “Current Trends of Chinese Law towards Non-Trade Concerns such as Sustainable Development and the Protection of Environment, Public Health, Food Safety, Cultural, Social and Economic Rights, Labor Rights and the Reduction of Poverty from the Perspective of International Law and WTO Law” coordinated by Professor Paolo Davide Farah at gLAWcal – Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development (United Kingdom) and at West Virginia University John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics, Department of Public Administration, in partnership with the Center of Advanced Studies on Contemporary China (CASCC) in Turin (Italy), Maastricht University Faculty of Law, Department of International and European Law and IGIR - Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation (Netherlands) and Tsinghua University, School of Law, Institute of Public international law and the Center for Research on Intellectual Property Law in Beijing (China). This publication and the Conference Series were sponsored by China-EU School of Law (CESL) at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). The activities of CESL at CUPL are supported by the European Union and the P.R. of China