More than 3,000 migrant workers receive pay cards from their employers in Weifang, Shandong province, a measure to ensure that they are paid on time. With average monthly wages up 16.5 percent yearonyear in the first two months, grassroots workers’ pay is still far below the average. [Photo/Xinhua]

The government should pass comprehensive laws to protect the rights and interests of migrant workers, says an article on xinhuanet.com. Excerpts:

The end of 2014 has been far from happy for many migrant workers because their employers, like always, have not paid their arrear wages. Despite the government issuing regulations and setting up a special department to help migrant workers to get their wages in time, some employers seem to have ignored the strictures and departmental orders.

The slowing of economic growth over the past two years seems to have worsened the situation for migrant workers and increased employee-employer conflicts over payment of salaries.

It seems accumulation of wage arrears has become a normal phenomenon, with migrant workers forced to suffer its consequences. The government should take immediate measures to end this vicious circle. The government has amended the Labor Law several times to suit the fast development of society. But the law has not been implemented in letter and spirit in all the fields. Besides, migrant workers also need to raise their legal awareness of using the law to safeguard their rights and interests.

More importantly, law enforcement and judicial authorities need to take more measures to make it easier for migrant workers to sue employers that default of payment so that they can use the funds to earn more money. And they have to make it clear to one and all that enterprises have to abide by the labor laws and contracts.