China aims to bring 90 percent of its workforce under the protection of formal labor contracts by the end of 2007, said Yin Shuji, a spokesman with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, on Friday.

Yin said the government would improve management of labor contracts and promote legislation and implementation of collective labor contracts to fully protect workers' rights.

He said the nation would bring all enterprises with trade unions into the collective labor contract scheme by 2012, and will step up efforts in helping workers laid off by state-owned enterprises get reemployed.

The nation would take a more forceful approach in ensuring a proper salary growth rate for workers in the business sector. The priority will be given to the enforcement of the minimum wage system, he said.

The ministry would intensify supervision over small brick kilns, coal mines and workshops in the wake of the illegal forced labor scandal and work with concerned departments to inspect those work places from July to August, he said.

He said the ministry would continue to integrate the urban and rural labor markets to create a sound environment for transfer of rural labor and encourage farmers to start their own businesses back in their hometowns.

An insurance system which covers industrial injuries and personal medicare will soon cover more than 30 million rural labors, he said, adding that the ministry was working on a pension system for rural laborers.

The ministry will continue to carry out special investigations into the payment of the minimum wage for rural laborers, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2007)