Chinese trade union studies (CTUS), guided by the Marxist theory of labor movement, is an important discipline that examines the emergence, development process, and activity regulations of trade unions with an interdisciplinary approach. After more than 70 years of development, CTUS has established a relatively explicit knowledge boundary, a complete theoretical system, and a relatively mature discipline system, thus becoming a candidate for the first-level discipline. The construction of the first-level discipline of CTUS should be guided by General Secretary Xi's Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the new era, particularly adhering to Xi's key statements on the working class and trade union work, with Marxist theories of the working class and labor movement serving as a fundamental theoretical basis. Guided by the principles of discipline construction, it should also be based on the historical context of the history of the Chinese labor movement and the history of Chinese trade unions, reflecting the practical realities of labor movement endeavors and trade union work under the leadership of the Party. Currently, there are differing views in the academic community regarding the discipline positioning and development of CTUS. This study, based on the theory and practice of trade unions, proposes that CTUS should establish three secondary disciplines of theoretical union studies, labor science and technology, and union practice. It is hoped that this will provide a reference for constructing an independent knowledge system for CTUS.