Suggestions pour in on lastest draft law to seek public input

With employment issues ranking at or near the top of public concern it's perhaps not surprising that citizens have already offered hundreds of suggestions on a new law designed to promote employment.

The draft of the employment promotion law became the latest draft law to have its full text offered up for public input on the website of the National People's Congress.

It was released on Sunday and more than a thousand people offered advice on the first day alone.

With employment issues - along with health care, housing and education, a main cause of anxiety, the comments are often far from meek or timid.

A netizen surnamed Li wrote on one of China's most influential news websites, that the new law lacked teeth. While the law is designed to prohibit discrimination against job seekers because of their age, appearance and beliefs, Li wants to see the consequences of discrimination strengthened.

"The relevant regulations relating to employment discrimination in the draft are too general and weak. They should be more feasible and detailed," said the netizen.

A university student said employers must be prevented from favoring male graduates and end the practice of advertising for only young women between certain ages.

If recent results on the public input on two other draft laws are any indication, it's like that the employment promotion law will attract comments from tens of thousands of citizens.

Making public the drafts of new laws is a recent phenomena in China and the public input is helping legislators develop better, more well-defined and coherent laws, say legal experts.

The NPC also used the internet to promote the draft Property Law and the draft Labor Contract law in 2005 and 2006.

The draft Property Law received more than 11,000 comments in 40 days. Legislators made amendments to the law based on the public input which suggested the draft law didn't offer enough protection to state assets.

After a record eight readings the Property Law was passed by the top legislature at the annual session of the NPC in early March.

The draft labor contract law is following the same path toward promulgation. In March 2006, the text of draft law was released and within a month 191,849 people, from company owners to migrant workers, expressed their views.

An official with the general office of the NPC Standing Committee said the draft labor contract law has been extensively revised based on the public's input and it will be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for further deliberation later this year.

At the just-concluded NPC annual session, China's top legislator Wu Bangguo promised that the NPC will publish the full text of future draft bills and hold more debates and hearings.

The deadline for offering comments on the Employment Promotion law is April 25. Also see: China focus: Job discrimination to end with new employment promotion law

Source: Xinhua