Overdue Labor Day gift

As the fruit of marathon talks, the largest collective contract in the country has raised the minimum wages for about 450,000 laborers in the catering sector in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, by 30 percent, excluding payment for extra working hour and other subsidies.

The significance of these pay-rise negotiations can never be overestimated.

The negotiations bode well, not just for workers in the catering industry but also for those in other industries nationwide, by sending the message that negotiation can be an effective way for workers to protect their interests and rights.