EMPLOYEES in China's joint ventures are more dissatisfied with their unemployment protection than their counterparts in state or collective enterprises, a survey has revealed.
It also shows the joint ventures come off worst where work hazards and provision for old age, medical and maternity care are concerned compared with their state counterparts.
The survey by the Information Centre of the Ministry of Labour and the China Labour Newspaper, looked into the employment situation following the implementation of the country's first national labour law last month. Registered unemployment reached 1.87 million last year.
China has been pushing ahead with a new social insurance system to support the reform of its state-enterprises, which used to provide workers with cradle-to-grave protection.
The new system, with provisions on unemployment, medical care, old age, and maternity and work hazards, is seen as vital to contain unemployment, which is expected to more than double this year.
The official survey shows only 16 per cent of people from joint ventures were satisfied with the unemployment protection provided, while the figure was 25 per cent for state and 28 per cent for collective enterprises.
Under the new social insurance scheme, all enterprises - state, collective, foreign or private-run - have to pay contributions to cover social services.
