China aims to ensure 'equal pay for same job'

BEIJING - China aims to ensure workers hired through labor contracting agents get the same treatment as directly hired employees, according to a draft bill considered by lawmakers Monday.

The draft amendment to the Labor Contract Law is undergoing a second reading at a five-day bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, or the legislature, which opened Monday.

Originally submitted to a June session of the legislature for deliberations for the first time, the draft is designed to prevent employee leasing from being abused by employers trying to save on costs.

By amending the current Labor Contract Law, adopted in 2007, the move targets a common yet unfair reality: many Chinese people, who are actual long-term workers at an organization, are paid much less because they are branded as "leased employees."

In China, some organizations employ a number of leased employees via labor leasing agents, but do not sign contracts with these workers or give them fair pay and welfare, even though they have been working with them for a number of years.