Contract to give catering employees higher wages

Historic agreement would affect about 450,000 workers

WUHAN - Hundreds of thousands of catering industry employees in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, may soon receive more pay because of a contract recently signed by members of a local labor union and their employers.

If the agreement wins the approval of local government officials, about 450,000 workers in the industry will receive a monthly minimum salary that is 30 percent higher than the minimum wage paid in the city. They will also be able to expect at least a 9 percent increase in their wages within a year, according to the contract signed on April 23.