Advocating the protection of the rights of migrant workers, especially those labour victims suffering from industrial injuries and occupational diseases, is a prime objective of Labour Action China. Despite workers’ rights are formally protected in laws, the inconsistency and ineffective implementation of national labour laws and related regulations at local levels are key obstacles to the improvement of labour rights. Furthermore, loopholes in labour laws such as the Prevention of Occupational Disease Law and the Work Injury Insurance Ordinance have seriously hampered the enforcement of workers’ rights regarding occupational diseases and industrial injuries. There are also many administrative and institutional obstacles within the Chinese governing system, which leaves migrant workers in a severely exploited and vulnerable position.

Advocacy for legislative and policy changes is therefore our prime work. In recent years, we have synthesized the legal breakthroughs achieved by the workers’ legal pursuits for a wider spectrum of advocacy. In particular, we are concerned with the policies and laws relating to occupational disease, work injury, social insurance, civil rights compensation, and social welfare provision at the rural level, among others.

On the other hand, we continue to lobby and have dialogue with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) regarding their responsibility in monitoring China’s implementation of OSH requirements.