Unions target foreign businesses (2)

"All corporations in China should obey Chinese laws, and they should also understand that in China the primary task of a union is to help enterprises develop and boost collective contract agreements and to mediate labor relations through negotiation between employees and employer," she said.

Chinese law allows 40 regular hours plus nine hours of overtime per week, but Wang said that it had been reported to her that employees at the "Big Four" are forced to work a lot more overtime, and that stress levels were huge.

"A union would help them better guard their legitimate rights," she added.

"We will fully comply with government requirements in this matter," said a statement Ernst & Young sent to China Daily on Thursday.

An employee at KPMG's Beijing office told China Daily that she would welcome possible union representation.

"It would be good news if a union could help us obtain higher overtime pay," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The employee added that she works 13 hours a day at busy times, and 10 hours a day during slow periods.

Wang Ying said the Federation would be working to cooperate with the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants on pushing for the establishment of unions at the "Big Four".

She added that she and her officials will continue to boost setting up township-level, regional and industrial union federations to cover smaller overseas-funded firms with employees fewer than 25.

Trade Union Law stipulates that a corporate unit with 25 employees or more should set up a union.

Many overseas-funded businesses and the people they employ have benefited from the representation of unions.

Germany's Bosch Rexroth Hydraulics and Automation Co Ltd in Beijing set up its trade union in 1996, and it has played a key role in holding collective wage talks since 2010.

Li Ming, the company's union chairman, said the new round of talks would be held in April or May with workers expecting a 5-percent year-on-year wage rise this year.