FOXCONN Technology Group, a manufacturer of computer and consumer electronics, set up its first trade union at its mainland headquarters in Shenzhen on Sunday, breaking from its long-standing practice of resisting organizing efforts on the mainland.

The establishment of this trade union came about after protracted efforts by the Shenzhen Municipal Federation of Trade Unions to help the manufacturer establish an employee union.

So far, nearly 1,200 employees have joined the trade union. Chen Peng, who is in charge of staff relations in the company, was elected union chairman.

The new trade union will guide Foxconn’s other branches and subsidiaries in establishing trade unions throughout the mainland, a company spokesman said Monday.

The union was also expected to set a good example for other anti-union multinational companies in Shenzhen in uniting employees, safeguarding employees’ rights and maintaining harmony in the workplace.

Foxconn is the biggest overseas-funded enterprise in Shenzhen, with more than 200,000 employees working at its base in Longhua, Bao’an District.

According to All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), only 60 percent of the more than 150,000 overseas-invested companies in China had founded trade unions by the end of last year.(Tang Li)