China launches campaign to fight against wage defaults

Chinese authorities have carried out a special campaign to cope with defaults on the wage of migrant workers nationwide, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on July 18.

The 40-day campaign, starting on July 16, focuses on wage arrears in the construction sector and aims to resolve the problem fundamentally, Wang Cheng, an official with the ministry, told a news conference.

"We will conduct comprehensive inspections of projects under construction and those completed but with wage defaults," Wang said.

He said the campaign will target projects invested in by the government and state-owned enterprises, and those under construction with records of wage arrears.

Violations by employers, including enforced wage deductions and delays, are an old problem in China, and the country has stepped up efforts to resolve the problem in recent years.

In 2011, the country's top legislature passed an amendment to the Criminal Law stipulating that malicious wage default is a crime and employers who intentionally withhold wages may face up to seven years in jail.

In 2018, the country dealt with 86,000 criminal cases of wage defaults and helped almost 1.69 million workers retrieve 16 billion yuan (about $2.3 billion), data from the ministry showed.