The country's federation of trade unions yesterday urged its overseas counterparts to place employment as their top priority and take measures to protect workers' rights in the wake of the global financial recession.

In his keynote speech at the two-day International Forum on Economic Globalization and Trade Unions in Beijing, Wang Zhaoguo, chairman of the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), said: "Amid the crisis, workers' rights are being violated. Trade unions in various countries should take measures to guarantee employment."

Wang urged the visiting world trade unions to step up efforts to increase employment, strengthen negotiation between the workers, employers and trade unions, and expand consensus between unions of different countries.