A 10-year-old rule on supervising migrants working in Beijing could be abolished today, which may lead to them being treated more like local workers with less prejudice against them.

The abolition of the regulation by the Beijing People's Congress echoes last year's moves by the municipal government to try and ensure more equal rights for migrants. 

The Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, the local legislative body, discussed the draft to an annulment decision yesterday.

It is expected that most legislators will today agree to abandon the regulation.

Many believe it is prejudiced against laborers and business people from outside of Beijing.

"According to the Administrative Licensing Law which was adopted by the National People's Congress in 2003, some rules fixed by local legislators must not forbid personnel and enterprises from outside from coming to work and operate businesses here," Zhou Jidong, director of the Legal Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, said. "But the municipal regulation disagreed with the law and some other State policies, so the Beijing municipal government advised the standing committee to abolish it. In fact, some restrictive measures have already been withdrawn such as the employment certificate system whereby migrant workers had trouble getting a job because they lacked the correct documentation for Beijing.

The restriction on chosen professions has also been stopped. Before, migrants could only do jobs like working on dangerous construction sites.

Some professions were forbidden, such as driving taxis and bus conductors. These were considered to be jobs for permanent residents only.

Ahead of today's vote, five governmental rules linked to the regulation were abolished last year.

They regarded renting houses, employment, operating businesses and health check-ups.

Another supervised baby sitters from other areas.

As for the temporary residence certificate system for migrant workers, Zhou said that it will not be abandoned in the near future.

"But I believe that it will be withdrawn sooner or later in the process of urbanization," he said.

"Beijing, as the Chinese capital, is an immigrant city. The local government and residents should be more open-minded towards migrant workers," he said.

Zhang Yin, vice-director of the Legal Office of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, was thrilled about the possible abolition of the 10-year-old regulation.

"It is more than a legislative change," he said yesterday.

"The abolition will help build a more harmonious society. If the regulation passes the vote for abolishment, local residents and migrant workers should abide by the same laws and local regulations," he said.

Liao Meilian, who works at the Beijing office of the Guangdong provincial government and is responsible for introducing laborers there, hoped the abolition would be passed today.

"I know clearly the trouble migrant workers meet when they come to Beijing to find job opportunities," Liao said.

"In the past, they had to pay money and spend time getting various certificates before starting their careers here," she said.

"I hope they can enjoy equal treatment with local residents," Liao added.

A regulation to protect the historical and cultural city of Beijing as a whole will also be voted for adoption today by legislators.

According to the draft, officials will have to take responsibility for their actions if they do not protect the city.

The standing committee also yesterday discussed the draft for a local regulation to promote patent protection in Beijing.

(China Daily March 25, 2005)