The Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Sunday released a full draft of the country's first law to eliminate workplace discrimination.

The draft stipulates that no employee should be discriminated against on account of nationality, race, gender, religion, age, or disability.

The draft also vows to establish a more comprehensive unemployment benefit system and more favorable tax policies for employers to encourage them to create more jobs, although no specific details were given about what these polices would be.

Current unemployment benefits vary from city to city but on average amount to 700 yuan (US$88) per person per month.

Local NPC standing committees have been told to collect proposals and suggestions from the public and report to the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee before April 25.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2007)