From Chinese Press

Blaming temporary workers?

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-06 07:16

A couple in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, not only failed to stop their house from being demolished, but also were "loaded" on a truck and dumped into a muddy ditch for protesting against it. In response, the local authorities made temporary workers a scapegoat for the forced demolition, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

The local authorities in Zhengzhou are not the first to blame temporary workers for forced demolitions. An urban management official who slapped an elderly vendor was said to be a temporary worker as civil servants who purchase low-income houses against regulations are projected as temporary workers.

In quite a few cases, such temporary workers have been laid off after taking full responsibility for such actions . Generally, they get less than normal pay and after being sacked can only get a small amount as compensation from their employers. All this is done so that full-time staff members, who are in charge of the temporary workers, can rest at ease.

But one thing is certain: Temporary workers cannot raze a residential building forcibly without the authorization of their employers. Besides, according to the country's Labor Contract Law, a person cannot be called a temporary worker once he/she signs a labor contract with his/her employer. And if an employer recruits someone without signing the labor contract, he/she is breaking the law.

Employers, especially some government departments, should stop using temporary workers as an excuse to shirk their responsibilities in scandals such as forced demolition, and the government should expedite the process of improving the system of accountability to stop the abuse of power.

(China Daily 12/06/2010 page9)