A?woman is seeking a court's help to enforce a labor arbitration agreement after her former employer was accused of forcing her to quit because she was pregnant in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province.

Yangtse Evening News reported yesterday that the 30-year-old woman's contract with a non-profit research institution expired in March, but she continued to work there, meaning both parties were legally required to follow the terms of the contract. Under the contract, the woman had agreed to arrange with the institution when she would have a child.

The woman found out she was pregnant in May. When she told her boss, he said she had violated the terms of her contract. She wanted to keep her job, and the boss agreed, but changed her job description.

The former typist was given tasks such as scanning old films and was paid based on her daily workload. Many women consider such tasks potentially harmful to an unborn baby, the report said.

In July, a doctor advised the women to take two weeks of sick leave after she had what was described as a "strong reaction" to pregnancy.

She was sacked after applying for sick leave.

The woman then went to labor arbitration and reached a deal with the institution to terminate her employment in exchange for 6,000 yuan (US$878.71). But the institution refused to pay.

The court has yet to rule.