NUMEROUS provinces and cities all over China have failed to meet the January 1 deadline set by the new Labour Law for establishing a minimum wage for employees.
And in an apparent effort to placate the increasingly restive workforce, authorities in many areas have allowed official labour groupings an input in fixing local wage levels.
The Chinese media announced yesterday Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong, Zhejiang, Liaoning and Guizhou had established a minimum salary system and 21 other areas were in the process of doing so.
Under the new Labour Law, employers, including state and private companies, will be penalised if they fail to pay their workers the minimum wage.
The semi-official China News Service quoted a spokesman for the Labour Ministry as saying the minimum wage system was 'welcomed by workers because it guarantees them a basic livelihood, rights and benefits'.
He indicated the wage levels were set after consultation between the Government, trade unions and enterprises.
They range from 380 yuan (HK$348) a month in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone to 120 yuan in heartland areas such as Guizhou. Such wages do not include overtime pay or subsidies.