The Workers' Autonomous Federation emerged in May 1989 as a prototype for a future independent trade union movement in China. It arose alongside the student demonstrations which began in April 1989 calling for greater democracy, an end to corruption, a more open and accountable government and autonomous student unions.
J. X. Zhang on Wang Chaohua, Conglai jiu meiyou jiushizhu. A participant’s clear-eyed reflections on China’s 1989 pro-democracy movement, three decades on.