China paid back 32.2 billion yuan (US$3.9 billion) owed to rural
migrant workers as of December 3, accounting for 95.88
percent of the total, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security
said in Beijing Friday.
Zheng Silin, Chinese labor and social security minister, said an
inspection is ongoing from December 1 to February 2005 to find out
if migrant construction workers were paid on time.
"We must ensure that farmer workers can get money after a whole
year of hard work and return to home happily for the lunar new
year," he said at a work meeting on 2005's work plan.
Those who arbitrarily extend migrant laborers' working hours and
default on wage payment will be held accountable, he said, adding
that the ministry is working on a mechanism to check future back
pay.
In addition, the Chinese government will carry out a campaign
called "spring wind" in February, which will not only offer these
workers employment information, skills and services, but crack down
on illegal intermediary joy services.
The Chinese government will also try to improve the social
security net for migrant workers, said Zheng.
"One of the biggest risks facing migrant workers in cities is
they get a serious disease, that's why we will implement basic
medicare regulations fit for them based on principles of low cost,
insurance for major illness and financing through social
channels."
As most of these workers work in high-risk sectors such as
construction, coal mining and chemical engineering, China will
guide and supervise such businesses to offer employment injury
insurance and formulate more effective ways to guarantee they get
compensated if injured at work.
(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2004)