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China
Submitted by amrc on Wed, 10/15/2008 - 17:49.
Inflation pushes wages up 20 per cent in Shenzhen
National inflation figures of 8 per cent this year, coupled with consistent wildcat strikes across the country, have pushed the government to declare a 20 per cent increase in the minimum wage in the Southern industrial city of Shenzhen. In July, the minimum wage in central Shenzhen will rise by 17.6 per cent from its current level of 850 RMB to 1,000 RMB. The minimum wage in suburban Shenzhen will increase by 20 per cent from 750 RMB to 900 RMB. This makes Shenzhen wages the highest in the country. Nonetheless, workers will still have to work long periods of overtime just to earn a living wage in Shenzhen, where inflation is significantly higher than the national average, and the cost of living is high.
Sources: China Labour Bulletin, South China Morning Post, 5 June 2008
6 deaths at Olympic sites
Beijing officials have announced that six workers have died and four were injured at the National Stadium and other Olympic venues since construction for the Games began five years ago. It was the first official confirmation of deaths due to the construction of the Olympic sites, and was intended to refute a recent account in the British press which recently reported, based on anonymous worker interviews, that at least 10 workers had died while working at the National Stadiium.
Beijing officials have announced that six workers have died and four were injured at the National Stadium and other Olympic venues since construction for the Games began five years ago. It was the first official confirmation of deaths due to the construction of the Olympic sites, and was intended to refute a recent account in the British press which recently reported, based on anonymous worker interviews, that at least 10 workers had died while working at the National Stadiium.
Beijing is building or renovating 31 competition stadiums and 45 training venues in preparation for hosting the Olympic Games, which begin on 8 August.
Beijing’s total figure of 6 deaths would rank below the toll in 2004 when Athens was host to the Games. At least 15 workers died in Athens.
Source: IHT, 29 January 2008
New regulation on employing child labour in Guangdong province
Firms in Dongguan, Guangdong province can be subjected to a maximum fine of 300,000 yuan for employing children to work with toxic substances under the new regulation. 5,000 yuan per month can be fined for employing each child; the labour department can double the fine to 10,000 yuan and revoke its business license if the firm commits a second offense, Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
Authorities in the Pearl River Delta city said the new regulation will help crack down on the illegal employing of children, as the legal working age in China is 16.
In April, Dongguan labour department raided more than 3,500 factories. It is reported that more than 1,000 children aged between 9 and 16 had been lured from poor families in Liangshan, Sichuan province to Dongguan, Shenzhen and Huizhou to work as cheap labour in factories. The Liangshan government replied that they found only eight child-labourers working in Dongguan.
Guangdong government has being prompted to launch a province-wide investigation into child labour.
Source: China Daily, 22 May 2008
