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China Orders On-time Pay for Retirees, Unemployed
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security asked related government agencies to pay laid-off workers and pensioners on time no matter what.
Zhang Zuoji, minister of labour and social security, made this point last week at a working conference for provincial labour and social security departments directors.
Acknowledging that delayed pensions have topped 1.45 billion yuan (US$174.6 million) from January to May this year, Zhang said that from this month on there must be no further delays.
From January to May, delays were reported in 19 provinces and autonomous regions.
Areas that delayed payments must make plans to pay the money retroactively as soon as possible, Zhang added.
China aims to set up a more efficient social welfare system, but Zhang said there is a long way to go because the system should be extended to all kinds of enterprises and institutions, including foreign-funded companies.
"At present, what we should do is to perfect the basic old-age pension system and realize a transition from the system of securing laid-off workers' daily life to an unemployment insurance system,'' Zhang said.
A ministry survey indicates that more than 6 million workers were laid off from the country's State-owned enterprises by the end of May.
Some unemployed people and their local governments have already taken action.
Ninety-six per cent of the laid-off SOE workers have entered re-employment service centres, which help them learn new professional skills and find new jobs.
And according to yesterday's Beijing Morning Post, the Beijing Municipal Government has raised basic unemployment payments from last year's 291-374 yuan (US$35-45) to 300-385 yuan (US$36-46). The new payments are effective next week.
The capital city also increased minimum wages and the minimum pensions, with new rates effective October 1.
Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, exposed to the media enterprises that were in arrears to step up pressure on timely payment of pensions to retired workers, the Beijing-based China Labour and Social Security News reported.
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