If passed into law, the regulations could trigger a major overhaul of the collective consultation system that has prevailed in China over the last two decades. Photo by Travel Geographer.
When Xia Shihua was disabled in a mining accident, he sued the mine for compensation but was frustrated on three occasions by the obstacles thrown in his way by the courts and his former employer.
CLB examines the myriad obstacles faced by migrant workers seeking compensation for occupational illness, and outlines a series of measures to improve workplace safety and that ensure workers’ rights are protected. Photo of Zhang Haichao.
A retired miner from Sichuan with stage-three pneumoconiosis, who has been seeking occupational illness compensation from his former employer for the past three years, has finally been awarded 136,000 yuan in a court mediated settlement
Xiao Huazhong had been seeking 190,000 yuan, the amount he should be legally entitled to, but accepted the lower award because he is currently seriously ill in hospital, has already spent his entire life savings of around 80,000 yuan on medical care, and is faced with additional hospital bills of several hundred yuan a day.
At least 51 miners have been killed in four separate coal mine accidents over the weekend, the official Chinese media has reported
The most serious accident occurred on Saturday evening when a fire swept through a privately-run mine in Hancheng, Shaanxi, killing 28 miners working underground at the time. The mine owner was subsequently detained by police.