Chinese Labor Contract Proposal

Wow. Here are a bunch of bad ideas.

Menstruating Women Given Protection Under Model Chinese Labor Contract [yes, that is the actual name of the article - ed.]

The Beijing Federation of Trade Unions has released the first Collective Contract Model Text, in which it hopes that employees' salaries should be increased in proportion to companies' operations and profits.

This model text contract is not compulsory, so Chinese companies can choose some or all of the clauses to make them a part of their own employee labor contracts.

Though the model text asks that employee's salary be increased in direct ratio to an enterprise's profit, it says that the salary increase rate should be fixed through consultations between the enterprise and the employee representative. Regarding work hours, the new contract stipulates that the standard work time for employees is eight hours per day and should not be more than 40 hours per week.

The contract says that three groups of employees, including those who have been accredited as model or advanced workers at the municipal level or above; those whose family members are all jobless; and those who have the elderly or children to take care of should be given priority to stay is there are staff layoffs. Female workers who have dysmenorrhea can take leave during their menstruation and still be duly paid.

In addition to the necessary clauses of the Labor Contract Law, the Collective Contract Model Text also features detailed stipulations on workplace related issues. For example, it says that companies must not lower the position or the salary of pregnant employees because of their pregnancy.

You think Chinese companies aren't making any money now, wait till you see how much they're losing once their accounting departments get done with 2008's numbers. Operations and profits don't always go in the same direction. Often profits decline initially when operations increase and sometimes they never make it back.

I also like that female employees who have dysmenorrhea receive special treatment at certain times. I had no idea what dysmenorrhea is, however the dictionary on the internet says: "menstrual condition characterized by severe and frequent menstrual cramps and pain associated with menstruation". Lovely. I want to see all the plant foremans having to listen to that excuse all the time.

Pregnancy is one we are all familiar with. Fair enough. Women's resumes in China are quick to note when the gal has had a child so a potential employer knows up front that it doesn't have to pay or deal with maturnity leave. They also provide other vital information such as gender, age, marital status and typically a picture.