Employers in Guangzhou who make unfair contract stipulations for employees could face a 20,000 yuan (US$2,416) penalty, the labor and social security bureau said.

The city's 200,000 employers will have to file copies of contracts at the labor and social security bureau.

Wu Hui, vice director general of the bureau, said some internal rules, set to protect employers' interests, violated labor rules.

Some employers do not allow female workers to marry in two years after starting to work for the firm or give birth in three years since. Some even forbid workers to go to the toilet during working hours. Some law-ignorant employers do not think workers need to approve the rules and employers can interpret the rules arbitrarily.

The labor authority will add the employers' internal rule checks to its annual labor using examination to see if employers violate labor rules.

The bureau demands enterprises to check whether their rules have violated labor rules and will fine employers heavily if they refuse to correct their wrongdoings.

The supervision will mainly focus on the construction, eatery and labor-intensive industries, which are plagued with back wages and other problems.

People in Guangzhou can call 8601-2333 to report back wage disputes.

 (Shenzhen Daily April 29, 2005)