The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) held its 15th national congress on October 17-21, with more than 1,600 representatives from across the country.

President Hu Jintao addressed the ACFTU on October 21, and called on trade unions to earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of employees and coordinate labor relations to promote social stability.

Trade unions need reform and should explore new solutions to deal with problems, he added.

Vice President Xi Jinping also attended the congress.

This congress elected new leaders of the ACFTU. Wang Zhaoguo was reelected president. It will be his third tenure. The congress has also adopted a resolution on the amendment of union charter, and reviewed and approved several reports prepared by the executive committee of the previous session. The ACFTU congress is held once every four years.

Pay for Laid-off

About 7,000 workers who lost their jobs after toy-making factories shut down will receive back pay from the local government in Guangdong Province, according to a report of Xinhua News Agency.

Two factories of Smart Union Group (Holdings) Ltd., a Hong Kong listed company and supplier to U.S. Mattel Inc., were shut down on October 15. More than 7,000 workers lost their jobs. The company owed its workers at least six weeks' wages totaling 24 million yuan ($3.5 million).

The local government promised to help people find jobs if they want to stay in the area.

Dongguan is a major base for Chinese toy exporters, but the rising yuan and escalating production costs have forced many factories to close.

Maiden Flight

The Chinese-made regional jet, Modern Ark (MA) 60, was launched on its maiden flight in the northern port city of Tianjin on October 19.

Carried by Okair Airlines, the flight marked the start of the domestic commercial operation of the MA 60. Produced by the

Xi'an Aircraft Industry Co., a major Chinese aircraft producer, MA 60 is designed for short and medium-range commuter services.

Kiln in Danger

Without any firings or repairs in the past 13 years, an ancient kiln in China's porcelain capital, Jingdezhen City in Jiangxi Province, is on the verge of collapse, forcing authorities to protect the only remaining relic of its type of China.

The 200-square-meter kiln fired pots for royal families during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) in Beijing, but now termites call it home, threatening the sturdiness of its wooden pillars, said Jiang Hua, Director of Jingdezhen Culture Bureau.

"The Jiangxi Provincial Culture Bureau has decided to allocate 300,000 yuan ($44,000) to remove the termite threat. The repair work would start at the end of this year," Jiang said. "We are finding the same type of wood to replace the damaged pillars."