Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan has urged local government
officials to ensure all wages owing to migrant rural construction
workers are paid in full by the end of this year.
"Although the deadline is only six months away, governments
should establish a long-term mechanism to prevent defaulting on
wages owed to migrant workers," Zeng told a meeting in Beijing on
Sunday.
Under a plan set by the State Council, the administration
promised to solve the issue of defaulting or cutting wage payments
to migrant construction workers by 2006.
So far, a total of 177 billion yuan, or 95.2 percent of the
arrears reported by construction companies before the end of 2003,
have been paid to migrant laborers, statistics from the Ministry of
Construction shows.
To make sure the remaining 4.8 percent are paid on schedule,
Zeng said the State Council will hold provincial governments
responsible for unpaid wages within their jurisdiction. Provincial
governments must only approve construction projects that are
securely funded to ensure all wages be paid on time, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2006)