08 Jan 2015, 10:32 am
The decision was taken jointly by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS), the State Administration of Work Safety and the All China Federation of Trade Unions. It is particularly intended to protect the interests of the large number of migrant workers employed in the Chinese construction industry, according to a statement published on the MHRSS website.
Firms will also be required to improve the benefits offered by their injury insurance schemes, and to standardise and simplify injury-reporting procedures, according to the statement.
The Chinese construction sector employs nearly 45 million people, around 36 million of whom are migrant workers, according to state-owned news agency Xinhua. Li Dajun, the organiser of a migrant workers' rights group, told Xinhua that nearly 90% of construction workers do not have labour contracts or insurance. Without a labour contract, a worker cannot claim compensation from their employer, according to Xinhua.
