Amended employment mediation regulations, including clauses to deal with contract disputes, will come into effect this month.

Officials of the Shanghai Municipal Personnel Bureau said the unprecedented amendments to employment regulations take into consideration newly emerging issues, including equality of both employer and employee.

Zhou Maosheng, president of the Personnel Arbitration Committee, the only one of its kind in Shanghai, said the amendments are a direct result of reforms initiated in 2000.

The changes follow Supreme People's Court regulations, which put forth principles to guide reforms nationwide.

To ensure a smooth transition, Shanghai developed its own specific regulations, which were announced yesterday.

As the nature of employment changes with the country's economic development, more and more workers have turned to the Shanghai Personnel Arbitration Committee to resolve disputes between employees and employers.

This year, the committee handled 72 cases, up from 26 last year.

Zhu Daming, director of the Rules and Regulations Department of the Shanghai Personnel Bureau, said more disputes are likely to emerge as reforms move forward.

"It also suggests Shanghai people now are more aware of using laws and regulations to protect their rights."

There are more than 8,300 public institutions in the city, according to municipal records.

Institutions

While there are no exact figures on the number of people employed by institutions - which generally refers to non-business organizations, some estimates say there are hundreds of thousands of employees.

Cai Zheren, deputy director of the Shanghai Personnel Bureau, said the amendments, which expand the scope of the regulations, will help solve personnel-related issues in organizations not specifically categorized as institutions.

The regulations apply not only to locally registered institutions but also privately funded non-profit organizations such as private hospitals, schools, rest homes and institution-like societies like guilds.

Zhu Daming said the regulation has offered help to personnel arbitrations made by the local personnel arbitration committee, which will ensure the solution be implemented efficiently.

(China Daily November 11, 2004)