Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao on December 16 urged the workers to fully support and actively participate in the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Addressing the second plenary session of the 13th Executive Council of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU),Hu said that workers should play a bigger role in and make greater contribution to structural adjustment, transformation of enterprises' mechanism, management improvement, and market expansion.

He also asked trade unions to work harder to protect and develop the rights and interests of its workers.

Trade unions should actively support Party committees and governments at all levels in their bid to resolve workers' complaints and deal harshly with cases in which their rights and interests are violated, he said.

Relying whole-heartedly on the working class is necessary to strengthen Party leadership and the socialist system as well as an important prerequisite for good and sound management of China's industry, Hu stressed.

He said that trade unions should be provide support and guidance for workers and make greater efforts to strengthen trade unions at the grassroots.

Hu called on the trade unions to carry out sound ideological work, emphasizing the need to further educate its workers on patriotism, collectivism and socialism.

He also urged trade unions to help those workers in financial difficulty, especially as the New Year is approaching, so that they can feel the warmth of socialism.