President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on Monday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during a gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and to honor national model workers and exemplary individuals.

President Xi Jinping and other Party and State leaders applaud for national model workers and exemplary individuals who were honored on Monday in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping has called for pooling the strength of the country's working class and working people into a powerful force to make greater contributions in the new era, as China embarks on a new journey to build a great country and advance national rejuvenation.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Monday at a gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and honor national model workers and exemplary individuals.

The federation, which was founded in 1925 with 540,000 members, is currently the world's largest labor union, with a membership of nearly 300 million.

Xi said that over the past century, under the leadership of the CPC, the federation has united and mobilized the working class to focus on the Party's key tasks in each historical period.

"The practice over the past 100 years has fully proved that the working class in our country is indeed the most solid and reliable class foundation of the CPC," he said.

Xi also spoke highly of Chinese trade unions' role as a bridge and link between the Party and the working people, saying that these unions are both representatives and defenders of the workers' interests.

"Regardless of how the conditions of the times and social groups develop and change, the position and role of the working class in our country must be unswervingly upheld; the fundamental policy of relying wholeheartedly on the working class must be unswervingly upheld; and the nature and functions of our trade unions must be unswervingly upheld," he said.

Xi urged trade unions to guide workers to tackle challenges in the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, forge ahead in developing emerging industries, and explore the cultivation of future industries, thus providing new momentum for the country's high-quality development.

In the wake of the latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, Xi emphasized the need to increase the ranks of high-caliber workers to build an educated, skilled and innovative workforce.

He also called for efforts to create better employment and working conditions, as well as better reflect workers' labor, skills, knowledge and innovation in income distribution, in order to give the people a growing sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Addressing a gathering of 1,670 national model workers and 756 exemplary individuals, Xi said they are role models for the people and pillars of the nation. He encouraged them to cherish their laurels and continue to make new accomplishments.

When Xi said it is necessary to ensure that taking pride in labor becomes a social norm and that public support for labor is encouraged, the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause.

Chen Keying, an engineer with China National Offshore Oil Corp, said that Xi's words greatly motivated him as a worker engaged in oil and gas extraction in the South China Sea.

"Offshore extraction is full of challenges. Generation after generation of offshore oil workers have struggled and fought bravely, passing down a model work ethic and the spirit of quality workmanship," Chen said, vowing to fulfill the mission and glory of workers in the new era with concrete actions.

Monday's event was the 17th State-level award ceremony for national model workers and exemplary individuals. The first such award ceremony was held in 1950, and the event has been held every five years since 1995.

Apart from those working in traditional sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, those honored included representatives of new professions such as delivery service.

Gao Feng, a Meituan deliveryman, who was recognized as a national model worker this year, said the State-level honor fully demonstrates the care and concern of the Party and the country for the new workforce.

"I feel that the power of an individual may be little, but the power of a group is immense. This award does not belong to me alone, but also belongs to our entire group," he said.

As May 1 marks International Workers' Day, President Xi also extended festive greetings and best wishes to the country's working people.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn