Chinese netizens were recently stirred by the case of Miss Li, a technical engineer fired from her position at a Qingdao company after her employers learnt she was pregnant.

 

Angry at the news, Miss Li tried a number of means to keep her job to no avail. She received official notice of her dismissal from her company's human resources department in September. Bitterly disappointed at the decision, Miss Li filed a lawsuit against her former employer.

 

She then received a message from the company's lawyer saying she could return to work but could not have her original position. She was sent to clean the toilets!

 

Miss Li posted her story on an online forum, stirring up a fierce debate among the internet users. One forum poster called "cat 123" said the company only cares about its own interests. More and more women these days decide to postpone marriage and motherhood to pursue their careers. Despite this sacrifice, managers never consider the best interests of their employees.

 

Some legal experts said Chinese law dictates that employers are not allowed to revoke labor contracts with women who become pregnant, are pregnant, or who are breast-feeding. If they do terminate employment, they are responsible for compensating the employee. These experts advised Miss Li to take her case to court for a fair resolution.

 

(CRI November 25, 2006)