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.
Steve Gibbons on 12 Jan 11Conflict zone pressure rises on companies By Hugh Williamson in LondonPublished: January 12 2011 13:17 | Last updated: January 12 2011 13:17 Multinational companies are facing new pressure to tighten their operating standards in developing countries and conflict zones, including better risk assessments and grievance mechanisms, according to the leading global expert in the field. John Ruggie, United Nations special representative for business and human rights, told a London audience on Tuesday evening that a framework of tougher standards he had drafted "has acquired a life of its own" even before it is voted on in the UN's Human Rights Council in June.
