Date of publication: May 12, 2010
Source: International Labor Rights Forum
Attached Files
On January 1, 2008, China enacted powerful new protections for workers. Using hundreds of interviews with Chinese migrant workers and business managers, ILRF's new report examines the impact of the Labor Contract Law on workplaces in the country's export manufacturing hubs. The report finds persistent low rates of signed contracts between employers and employees and only modest advances in social insurance coverage, with older workers lagging behind younger workers in both categories. It also contrasts the channels through which different generations access legal information. ILRF argues for innovative strategies, from a greater emphasis on collective bargaining to community-based legal education, to ensure full implementation of the Labor Contract Law, arguing that the legislation is not only beneficial to workers, but also to the long-term stable growth of China's economy.