A great piece of work by a senior Chinese government official tackling the health care problem for migrant workers, a long neglected corner of society. From China Daily:
The Ministry of Health sought society’s help yesterday to raise the country’s 200 million migrant workers’ awareness about laws and rights on occupational diseases because their health was a big hazard for sustainable development.
“Migrant workers account for up to 90 percent of occupational diseases, even though they are protected by the Law on Occupational Disease Prevention,” Vice-Minister of Health Chen Xiaohong ( ÈôàÂï∏ÂÆè) said at a law promotion program at Beijing Railway Station, which was attended by many migrant workers who had just returned after Spring Festival.
Meng Guofang, 43, a worker from Central China’s Henan Province, has been working at construction sites in Beijing for years but knew nothing about the law. But after attending yesterday’s program, he said: “Now I know I have a law to protect myself.” [Full Text]
