China’s
workforce is owed £25bn in unpaid wages, according to figures released by its
government.
Speaking
at a conference held as part of a campaign to give migrant workers a fair deal,
Chinese vice-premier Zeng Peiyan admitted that some
labourers in China
have not been paid for 10 years.
The
campaign comes at a time when reports suggest that, for the first time in its
5,000-year history, China
is suffering from a labour shortage.
Some
cities in the south of the country are warning that dissatisfied workers – fed
up with working 12-hour days seven days a week for as
little as £35 a month – are returning to their family farms.
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