Workers deserve due overtime pay

Many laborers work overtime during holidays, even on the International Workers' Day, but a majority of them are not paid the stipulated amount for the extra work they do. Article 44 of the Labor Law says the remuneration for overtime work should be higher than that for work done during normal working hours. If laborers are made to work on rest days and no deferred rest days are offered, the employer has to pay no less than 200 percent of the normal wages to them. And if overtime work is arranged on statutory holidays, the employer has to pay at least 300 percent of the normal wages to the workers.

Article 31 of the Labor Contract Law says the employing unit should pay laborers for overtime work according to the country's laws and regulations, which have been enacted to protect workers' rights and interests and ensure they get the mandatory number of rest days and holidays.

But since workers can hardly safeguard their rights and interests, many employers continue to violate the laws and regulations. Very few laborers use labor arbitration or labor contract litigation to protect their rights and interests, and the ultimate result for those who do so is almost always the same: loss of their jobs.