The re-employed retired and outgone workers, an estimated total of 10 million in China, is adversely affecting the Chinese labor market by taking up posts that should belong to young people, according to an labor law expert.

Li Jianfei, executive director of China Association of Labor Law Studies, said Tuesday at a symposium concerning part-time employees that it is unfair to other laborers for a company to hire the retired and outgone employees, who, usually aged above 60, are deemed by Chinese Labor Law as falling short of the qualification for labor force.

"Those people (the retired people), on the one hand, live a secured life, enjoy the government pension fund, and on the other, they occupy the posts. It is unfair to other employees." Li was quoted as saying.

Besides, many companies are using part-time college students, on whom the law provides no specific rules on remuneration, working time and employers' rights and obligations, Li added.

These two elements are taking a toll on the labor market.

According to existing law, part-time working college students, babysitters and family service workers are not part of the labor relations, hence not entitled to the identification of the industrial injury in case an accident arises.

(China Daily April 12, 2007)