China's supreme court vows to redress job discrimination against Hubei workers

BEIJING -- The Supreme People's Court (SPC) has reiterated efforts to resolutely correct job discrimination in accordance with the law, stressing the discrimination against laborers from the coronavirus hard-hit Hubei province should be prohibited.

Regional discrimination in recruitment and arbitrary dismissals of Hubei workers should be corrected to ensure laborers' equal employment rights, the SPC said.

The SPC has also released a guideline April 20, noting that employers' applications to fire employees citing epidemic-related excuses will be rejected, which includes employees who have been infected or suspected of being infected with COVID-19, infected with the virus without showing symptoms, staying in quarantine due to the disease or hailing from Hubei or other coronavirus hot spots.

The Chinese Labor Law makes clear the guarante of fair employment for workers and prohibiting job discrimination from different perspectives.

The SPC also noted the timely roll-out of targeted judicial policy measures to support the development of the real economy and help micro, small and medium-sized firms tide over difficulties.