China will reduce the workload of coal miners by shortening their work hours to eight per day, while maintaining their current salary, said a circular issued by the State Council here Wednesday.

China's cabinet issued a circular on promoting the healthy development of the Chinese coal mine industry, in which it stressed improving the living conditions of coal mine workers.

"It is such good news for the miners, who always work overtime, " said Professor Yue Fubin, who has kept track of the coal industry growth in China.

"Most Chinese miners work in the hundred-meter-deep colliery and it usually takes them one hour to go down the coal bed," said Yue. "Therefore, if they dig coals for eight hours each day, they spend at least ten hours underground, plus they need to get changed and take showers after getting out of the mines."

The circular said the actual digging hours for miners should be limited to six. By adding one work shift to the current three- shift-mechanism, the company could still have the underground work run around the clock.

Zhang Wenjiang, who has been working with coal for over 20 years and now is the president of the Ningxia Coal Group, a state- owned large group in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, applauded the decision.

"There are 36,000 miners working in my group. I am very familiar with their hard life," said Zhang. "They are entitled to work the same hours as workers in other sectors, and my company will change the rules soon."

"Then coal miners will have more time to take care of their families and keep track of the school work of their kids," he said.

Yue Fubin held that shortened work time will not affect the fast profits of the coal mine industry much. "With more sleep and a clearer mind, miners could be more efficient," said Yue. "Plus coal prices have been climbing due to short supply."

"One more shift in the company each day could also provide more job opportunities for the abundant laborforce in China's rural areas," he said.

The hyperproduction of Chinese coal mines, driven by the huge market demand, resulted in over 3,600 accidents in China last year, devouring 6,000 lives. A huge gas explosion killing 214 in Sunjiawan colliery in northeast China's Liaoning Province this February shook the world and aroused great concern over the living conditions of Chinese miners.

Care for miners from the circular is not limited to work hours. The circular said that miners' allowance should be increased as their job is hard and dangerous. It also requires full coverage by work injury insurance for miners.

The Ningxia Coal Group has increased the allowance for entering coal mines from three yuan (36 cents) to eight (one US dollar), and raised the meal subsidy from 1.8 yuan (22 cents) to 6 (72 cents) each day. "This will add over 200 yuan (25 US dollars) to the miners' monthly salary," said Zhang.

Miners in the Ningxia Coal Group could make a better wage than those working for private coal mine owners. But their salary is less than 2,000 yuan (250 US dollars) a month, much less than the wage of workers engaged in the oil and electricity sectors.

"There is still a lot to do to improve the quality of miners' life, especially for those working for private coal mine owners," said Yue. "Local social security departments should take more initiative to oversee how the coal mine managers carry out the decision."

Source: Xinhua