Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan revealed yesterday that more than 360 billion yuan (US$43 billion) in unpaid wages remains owed to migrant workers at thousands of projects invested in by the government or real estate developers.
"Some have remained unpaid for up to 10 years," said Zeng, who insisted that all arrears should be paid by the end of 2006.
A nationwide investigation has found a total of 360 billion yuan (US$43 billion), related to 124,000 projects, is owed to workers from various sectors, Zeng told Monday's national conference on unpaid wages.
Zeng also admitted governments at various levels should be responsible for wage arrears in government projects, regardless of the reason of the wage-arrears. Many local leaders have launched unnecessary and lavish construction projects in order to enhance their status.
Zeng said government-backed projects should be first on the list and workers should be paid. But other enterprises should also be urged to pay wages in arrears as soon as possible.
He said unpaid workers involved in central government projects will get their pay by the end of this year. Those involved in local government projects will be paid by the end of 2005.
Zeng also warned that enterprises and managers that refuse to pay back wages to migrant workers must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
New arrears will not be allowed anywhere, he said, adding that accounts for paying salaries must be strictly supervised, and budgetary funds should be used to pay wages and salaries first.
Some migrant workers say the government's tough measures are already having an impact, but they want to have payment regulations to safeguard their rights.
Experts and officials also said it is necessary to develop a legal mechanism to ensure the timely payment of rural migrant workers' wages, thereby eliminating the root cause of wage arrears.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security unveiled the regulation in 1995. It forces employers to "avoid intentionally delayed payment." However, the regulation failed to provide details or recommend penalties.
Trade unionists want three articles to be added to the new regulation. First, like every other worker or employee, migrant workers should be paid monthly or weekly. Second, payment can be delayed on the condition that the trade unions agree. But this should be limited to a maximum period of two weeks. Third, detailed punishments should be written into the revised regulation if employers violate it.
Source: China Daily, 24 August 2004.