Fair system key to end pay defaults ( 2004-01-10 00:20) (China Daily)
When the nation is making high-profile efforts to help migrant workers get
their defaulted pay, Hu Weiguo, a rural resident of Central China's Hubei
Province, died from a fall at the construction site where he worked shortly
after asking for his owed payment on January 2.
Police and the judicial department will find out those who are responsible
for Hu's death. But the government can hardly shake off its responsibility for
the systematic default.
Hu, his wife and some fellow workers first turned to his boss, and later to
the person in charge of the building enterprise. They then went to the local
labour and judicial departments for help. But after all these efforts, they
still could not get their money back.
Now that Hu's death has prodded all related departments to move, we can
expect the problem to be solved soon.
Prior to his death, however, have all concerned parties performed their
duties?
Such is a typical case deserving government intervention when construction
companies or labour contractors play default on paying migrant workers on time.
Silence on the part of authorities over such behaviour would only fail the
general public.
Governments at all levels are taking a number of measures, such as requiring
construction companies to pay temporary employees on a monthly base or setting
up labour companies to pay those workers directly.
These are all noteworthy moves. But such technical measures are still far
from enough. In the aspect of the social system, migrant workers should be given
more say in protecting their own rights.
They should be allowed to speak concerning legislation and administration in
different cities, and be given the right to terminate rules and regulations of
prejudice. Trade unions should be established for migrant workers, enabling them
to negotiate for their interests. If all these do not work, legal channels
should be provided to settle disputes.
Courts at all levels should not trifle on such labour contract cases but
should swiftly undertake investigation, hearing and enforcement of these
matters. This is the bottom line in protecting the legal rights of migrant
workers.
Only by solving the problem with a fair social system could repetitions of
Hu's tragedy be prevented.
