China aims to put 90% of the workforce under labour contracts

NATIONWIDE INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BEIJING July 20

China aims to put 90 per cent of its workforce under the protection of formal labour contracts by the end of 2007, said a spokesman with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on Friday.

Yin Shuji, the spokesman, said the nation will improve management of labour contracts and promote legislation and implementation of collective labour contracts to fully protect workers' rights.

He said the nation would bring all enterprises with trade unions into the collective labour contract scheme by 2012, and will step up efforts in helping workers laid off by state-owned enterprises get reemployed.
 
China will take a more forceful approach in ensuring a proper growth rate for workers in the business sector. Priority will be given to the enforcement of the minimum wage system, he said.

The ministry will intensify supervision over small brick kilns, coal mines and workshops, crack down on forced labour and work with concerned departments to protect the rights of rural labourers, he said.

Yin said the ministry will continue to integrate the urban and rural labour markets to create a sound environment for the transfer of rural labourers and encourage farmers to start business back in their hometown.

An insurance system which covers industrial injuries and personal medicare will soon benefit more than 30 million rural labourers, he said, adding that the ministry is working on the pension system for rural labourers.

The ministry will continue to carry out special investigations into wage payments to ensure payment of minimum wages for rural labourers, he said.
(XIC)