IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Employment

Jobs where satisfaction reigns

College students who graduated last year and are employed in government or scientific institutes continue to be those who are the most satisfied with their jobs, according to the 2012 Chinese College Graduates' Employment Report. The report is based on a nationwide survey conducted by Mycos, a Chinese education data consultation and assessment company, involving 256,000 questionnaires and 2,093 colleges.

The respondents belonged to two groups: people who graduated from college in 2011 or in 2008. Those who have been working in government for more than three years were 10 percentage points less satisfied than 2011 graduates, but they still ranked as the most satisfied of the class of 2008.

Labor outsourcing rules tightened

Recruitment agencies in China that help laborers work overseas will have to set up a security fund of at least 3 million yuan ($473,000; 375,800 euros) for possible evacuation and compensation during emergencies or if contracts fail, according to a new regulation.

The regulation, aimed at standardizing overseas labor outsourcing and published on June 11, requires recruitment agencies to set up a bank account with at least 3 million yuan to evacuate employees during emergencies or to compensate workers when the agencies fail to carry out their obligations.

Increasing need of laborers overseas has helped promote employment, but has resulted in some illegal labor outsourcing, a statement issued by the State Council's Legislative Affairs Office and the Ministry of Commerce said. It said the illegal practice has jeopardized the rights of workers and possibly led to gross violations.

Society

Measures to safeguard rights

Steps will be taken to prevent gaining confessions by torture and collecting evidence through illegal methods, said a government action plan issued on June 11.

The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2012-15), published by the State Council Information Office, pledges that no one will be forced to incriminate himself or herself.

Under the plan all rights of the person are guaranteed by law in lawsuits and law enforcement, and procuratorates will pay greater heed to the self-defense of criminal suspects at the stage of approval for arrest.

Procurators themselves should interview suspects when there are clues or evidence that prove the possibility of such serious violations of law as extortion of confession and collecting evidence through the use of force, the action plan said.

Health

Campaign to reduce salt intake

The China National Salt Industry Corporation, the country's biggest salt producer, has launched a plan to reduce the nation's salt consumption.

Chinese people consume about three times the amount of salt recommended by the World Health Organization.

The company's general manager, Mao Qingguo, said the company would implement a plan to develop low-sodium salt products and establish a uniform standard for salt substitutes to promote the healthy use of salt.

Each person consumes on average at least 15 grams of salt every day, compared with the 5 grams recommended by the WHO. Excessive consumption of salt is believed to be associated with cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases.

Expats help ease blood shortage

People from the expatriate community in Beijing have donated blood more than 500 times since 1998, and have helped ease the shortage of Rh negative blood, according to the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center.

This is the first time health authorities in China have published figures on blood donations from foreign donors.

Currently, about 200,000 expats live in Beijing, according to the latest population census.

Nationwide data for blood donations by expats was not available, according to the Ministry of Health.

Services

Capital to hire more social workers

After a series of attacks on medical staff, including some that resulted in death or serious injury, Beijing health authorities are boosting the number of social workers in an effort to ease the tension.

The capital aims to have a social services department manned by trained professionals in every hospital by 2015.

Health authorities believe that the new recruits -who will be hired as part of a national strategy to take the country's total number of social workers from the current 200,000 to 1.45 million by 2020 - will aid communication between hospitals and patients.

Analysts have welcomed the move, but most expect that the authorities will face many challenges.

China Daily

(China Daily 06/15/2012 page2)