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Since the advent of market reforms, provisions for social insurance have been scattered throughout a patchwork of rules and regulations implemented at the national, provincial, and local level, including the 1995 Labour Law and 2008 Labour Contract Law. The passage of the Social Insurance Law in 2010 established the first comprehensive social insurance law in China, aiming to consolidate existing rules and regulations under a standardized national social security framework. Although some specific implementation details are established in the law, such as the contribution terms required in order to be eligible for pension and unemployment benefits, the Social Insurance Law functions more as a statement of broad principles, leaving most of the implementation details for future clarification via additional regulations at the national and local level. The law repeatedly affirms the policy established in the Labour Contract Law, that social insurance benefits remain with workers if they move to different locations, however as is discussed below, this principle has proved very difficult to implement on the ground. And enforcement of the law in general remains very lax, meaning that many workers are denied the social security benefits they are legally entitled to.

The number of independent contractors has increased rapidly since the labor contract law was revised in 2007 to provide better protection for employees, said Uzhitu, vice-chairman of the NPC Finance and Economic Committee

Under the current law, employers can hire contractors to do temporary, supplementary or backup jobs. The proposed revision creates a clearer definition for these conditions. The bill also includes an article requiring agencies and employers to follow the principle of "equal pay for equal work" when negotiating payment for their contractors.

To achieve these objectives, we ask our Leaders to consider the following policy recommendations: I – Improve active employment policies, particularly for young people and other vulnerable groups

II – Strengthen social protection by establishing social protection floors adapted to each country

III – Promote effective application of social and labour rights