China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin yesterday called for more efforts from labor unions on the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan to safeguard the rights and interests of workers.

Labor unions on both sides should ensure workers across the Taiwan Strait benefit from economic and social development, he said at a meeting with union representatives from both sides.

He hailed the meeting between the heads of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and the island's Straits Exchange Foundation, two non-governmental organizations authorized to handle cross-strait issues, as an important step forward for relations.

The agreements signed by the two organizations, covering food safety, postal services, direct shipping and air routes, would boost economic exchanges and bring practical benefits for people on both sides, Jia said.