China urgently needs to safeguard the interests of temporary
laborers employed without fixed hours or workplaces, according to
members of China's top advisory body.
The issue was discussed at the third session of the Standing
Committee of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which ended
yesterday.
CPPCC member Zhu Zhihong told the session: "We are very
concerned with the situation of those employed in non-traditional
ways." He made the observation on behalf of the standing
committee's Sub-committee of Social and Legal Affairs.
Workers in "traditional" employment are hired for jobs with
fixed hours and locations. But in "non-traditional" employment, the
hours, days or even seasons they work can vary with each
employer.
The Third Plenum of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist
Party of China recently pushed for more flexible employment
conditions to find jobs for the country's unemployed, considered
essential for a stable Chinese society.
However, Zhu said the country's labor authority is still focused
only on protecting the rights and interests of traditional workers.
As a result, those working in non-traditional jobs have been stuck
with unreasonably low pay or have had their rights infringed.
The sub-committee found 145 million Chinese worked without fixed
hours and conditions last year. Only 14 per cent of these people
earned more than 500 yuan per month (US$60.40), while only 10 per
cent had ever signed employment contracts with their employers.
The country needs laws and regulations to set minimum wages in
such cases and to protect those workers against exploitation, said
Zhu.
Others at the CPPCC session pushed for the revitalization of old
industrial bases in Northeast China, better protection of land and
resources, an enhanced social security system for farmers and a
more effective financing system.
(China Daily October 21, 2003)