Sorry, but nobody's trading life for money

A 22-year-old woman surnamed Zhang, an employee of e-commerce platform Pinduoduo, fell unconscious while returning from work at 1:30am on Dec 29 and later died in hospital.

As news of the incident went viral, on Monday an account registered as the company she worked for posted a comment saying, "Everybody is trading life for money. You can choose to stay comfortable but you must bear the consequences."

The comment was deleted within 20 seconds, but a snapshot of it has gone viral, triggering fierce discussions online.

The company later apologized saying it was not their view, but that of an individual who acted irresponsibly.

It promised to act against whoever was responsible, but the brouhaha online is reason enough to address the issue. Everyone is striving for a better life. It is positive and healthy for society to praise those who struggle for a better future. But that should never be interpreted as "trading life for money".

If life is being traded for money, then the wealth created and accumulated will be of no use.

China's labor laws protect workers. It is important that people know their rights and never compromise them, and the labor law enforcement departments can fulfill their duties.

Enterprises must honor the law and respect their employees' rights. The law needs to be enforced so that workers get better protection.

Workers create wealth, and they should enjoy the wealth they create.

- ZHANG ZHOUXIANG, CHINA DAILY