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

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. The contract sets a record for the largest number of employees to be affected by collective bargaining in China's history.

It sets the pay of employees in downtown Wuhan at no less than 1,170 yuan ($180) a month.