China will take a series of measures to further protect the rights and interests of rural workers in cities, including timely wage payment and right to education of their children, according to a government meeting.

Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, passed in principle a document of guidelines on addressing issues relating to rural workers.

The meeting called for making efforts in the following fields at present.

-- ensure rural workers' minimum level of wages and solve default on their wage payments. A monitoring system and wage-payment guarantee system will be established to ensure rural workers get payment in time and in due amount.

-- regulate practices in employing rural workers and strictly enforce the labor contract system.

-- provide employment services and job training to rural workers and further remove discriminatory and unreasonable restrictions on them.

-- properly solve the problems on rural workers' social security.

-- grant them access to urban public services and improve their dwelling conditions.

-- improve the mechanism to protect the rights and interests of rural workers.

-- help surplus rural workers to find jobs in local cities.

The meeting called on the local governments at various levels and the whole society to understand, care for and protect the legal rights and interests of rural workers.

"Protecting the legal rights and interests of rural workers, improving the employment environment for them and guiding surplus rural workers to find employment in other areas rationally and orderly are significant in promoting coordinated urban and rural development, building a well-off society in an all-round way, safeguarding social equity and justice and maintaining social harmony and stability," the meeting said.

Source: Xinhua