NPC Delegate Says Labor Law Needs Urgent Reform

Professor Huang He, a delegate to the National People's Congress from Shanxi province, recommends changes in labor laws and regulations, reports the People's Daily Web site. The reforms should reflect the decline in state-owned enterprises and the many changes in labor conditions that have occurred over the past ten years, Professor Huang said. He urges that new labor laws and regulations be written in response to labor conditions in the market economy that workers now face. For example, Professor Huang declares that the hukou system is broken, because no matter where workers might be registered, in practice they can go anywhere in China to find jobs. He also suggests drafting new regulations to ensure social security and other kinds of insurance to protect workers and new laws regarding employment contracts.