Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday that measures must be
taken this year to ensure that rural workers in cities are paid on
time and in full and close attention paid to solving the problem of
their wages being docked or not paid on time.
The State Council has decided to basically solve the problems of
default on construction costs and wage arrears for migrant rural
workers in the construction industry within three years, the
premier said in a report on the government work at the opening of
the Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress.
Clearing up such back payments should begin with government-
invested projects, but different types of enterprises should also
be urged to pay off their arrears as soon as possible, said the
premier, adding, "Enterprises and managers that refuse to pay back
wages to migrant rural workers must be held accountable in
accordance with the law."
It is necessary to develop a mechanism to ensure the timely
payment of migrant rural workers' wages, thereby eliminating the
root cause of wage arrears. All enterprises must pay wages on time
and strictly obey the minimum wage regulations.
"We must ensure that all state organs and institutions pay
salaries and retirees' pensions on time and in full," he said.
New arrears will not be allowed anywhere, he said, adding that
accounts for paying salaries must be placed under stringent
oversight, and budgetary funds should be used to pay wages and
salaries first.
(China Daily March 5, 2004)
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