Society

Employees at entertainment venues must register real name

By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-20 07:19

BEIJING - More than 80,000 staff members in the capital city's entertainment sector have been put under the real-name registration system after being given IC (integrate circuit) cards in a major effort to fight prostitution, gambling and drug use, Beijing police said on Thursday.

People without the IC cards will not be allowed to work in the entertainment industry, and entertainment venues that hire these people will be ordered to suspend their business for one to three months, according to new police regulations.

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Entertainment venues refer to KTV clubs, nightclubs, and electronic amusement game parlors, Qian Jin, deputy chief of security corps at the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, told China Daily.

So far, a total of 80,000 staff members, including managers, headwaiters, security guards and waiters, from the city's 1,000 entertainment venues have all received their IC cards.

The IC card bears the holder's basic information including name, age, birthplace and any criminal record.

"The IC card shows if its holder has a criminal record, especially involving pornography. Those with criminal records are prohibited from working in the entertainment industry," Qian said.

The employees are required to swipe their IC cards when they arrive at work and leave work, he said.

"Through their wearing the cards, we can get a timely grasp of their tracks, which will also help prevent any harm coming to them and protect their legal rights," he said.

Huang Feng, an expert on criminal law from Beijing Normal University, said the move will help better regulate the entertainment industry and will help stamp out pornography.

"But we should also consider how to protect the labor rights of those who have criminal records," he said.

One manager surnamed Yang with Party World KTV told China Daily on Thursday that his employees have had their IC cards for one month. They have reported that they feel more secure than before, Yang said.

"On the one hand, we can rule out the employment of those with criminal records, and on the other hand, it can help protect our safety because we always work late at night," he said.

Beijing police launched a special crackdown on prostitution, gambling and drugs on April 14.

Since July, Beijing police have checked 2,635 entertainment venues, among which 42 were ordered to suspend their business for rectification.

Some 1,417 employees were found to have criminal records, and 438 who were involved in drug trafficking and prostitution have been dismissed, according to statistics from the police.

The number of criminal reports from the 110 hotline has dropped by 61 percent compared with the same period last year, police said.