China's top legislature made public on Monday the full text of
the new draft law on labor in order to seek public opinion on the
legislation which will affect almost every worker in the
country.?
The seven chapter draft details the establishment, revision and
termination of labor contracts. It is the country's first law
governing labor contracts and was submitted to the top legislature
for review last December.
In China a draft like this normally becomes takes affect after
three rounds of deliberation by lawmakers sitting on the Standing
Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).
It's the second draft law to be made public in China in recent
years. A draft on property rights sparked several rounds of
discussion since being made public last July.
"By making the draft (labor law) public we hope that people will
assist lawmakers draw up a statute which safeguards the rights of
employees and builds a harmonious employment relationship," said
Kan Ke, spokesman of the general office of the NPC Standing
Committee.
The existing labor contract system, set up in accordance with
the Labor Law enacted in 1994, requires updates to be given
following the dramatic changes in the labor marketplace which came
in the wake of China's rapid economic growth, an expert said.
It is said employees' rights and interests are frequently abused
as their employers can terminate contracts without notice, keep
back workers' wages, refuse to renew contracts and decline to pay
interns.
For 30 days beginning Monday the public can express their views
on the draft law to local legislative bodies or to the top
legislature. They can also e-mail their views on the NPC's website
at www.npc.gov.cn, Kan said.
Local legislative bodies were also ordered to seek opinions from
local lawmakers and legal experts and report back to the top
legislature by April 20, 2006, he added.
(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2006)