By Xinhua
Beijing : Environment and labour rights will be top priorities of the Chinese government in 2008, the country’s top legislature National People’s Congress (NPC) was told Saturday.
The NPC Standing Committee will deliberate on the special tasks of the State Council, which includes water pollution control, implementation of the environmental impact assessment law, efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions, its chairman Wu Bangguo said.
Wu made the remarks submitting a report on his committee’s work over the past five years.
“We need to protect the interests of workers and ensure a healthy growth of children. The labour contract law, the compulsory education law and the law for protection of minors should be implemented in a right earnest,” Wu said at the ongoing NPC annual session.
Around 3,000 legislators from across the country are participating in the conference.
The NPC Standing Committee will also work for the welfare of the farmers, mainly by ensuring the implementation of the law on specialised farmer cooperatives, Wu said. It will promote rapid economic development as outlined in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development.