The companies in Beijing are expected to reserve some fund along with their normal operation so that salaries can be paid to employees in time, according to the regulations approved at a municipal government meeting on Tuesday.

The regulations, which are aimed at protecting the legal rights of employees, will be first implemented in construction companies, according to government sources.

The cases of payment disputes kept on rising during the past few years as some companies failed to pay timely or even refused to pay purposely, said government officials, noting that such disputes greatly harmed laborers and social stability.

Those that reject to pay deliberately will be fined up to 2.5 times of the owed sum, according to the regulations.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2003)