China will conduct a nationwide inspection to find if the migrant workers' wages are paid on time.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security said the inspection will begin Dec. 1 and end Feb. 1, 2005. The inspection is designed according to a circular jointly issued by the Ministry of Labor an Social Security, the Ministry of Construction and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

"The problem of defaulting on migrant workers' wage payment should be handled seriously," said the circular, promising to establish a special governmental work mechanism.

"The employers who intentionally embezzle migrant workers' wages should be punished according to their concrete cases and the evil ones will be exposed to the public via the media," said the circular, calling to collect and promote helpful experiences.

"Legal education and other channel should be introduced to migrant workers' law awareness so that they would choose the right way to protect themselves when their rights are infringed," it said.

About 100 million migrant workers from the countryside have moved to cities to find work. Most of them do not join trade unions.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2004)