Minimum wage raise SHANGHAI will increase its statutory minimum wage from 2,420 yuan (US$360) to 2,480 yuan per month April 1, making it one of the highest in the country, local authorities said yesterday. The hourly minimum wage will be increased from 21 yuan to 22 yuan, according to the municipal human resources and social security department. The minimum wage excludes overtime pay and other miscellaneous allowances. Other regions in China, including Chongqing and Shaanxi, have also raised minimum wages this year. Combined insurances THE State Council General Office has issued a document on the combination of funds and management resources for maternity insurance and basic medical insurance in a bid to improve management efficiency and reduce operation costs. The move is also aimed at establishing an institutional system that adapts to China’s economic development and optimizes insurance management resources, according to the document. The collection and management of funds, as well as the medical service management, will be unified, it said. Relevant authorities should raise risk prevention awareness, reasonably guide expectations, improve maternity insurance monitoring indicators, and establish a dynamic adjustment mechanism based on maternity insurance and expenditure needs, the document said. Snow leopards spotted A FEMALE leopard and her cub have been caught on camera at Three-river-source National Park in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, according to the park administration. The three-river-source area is the source of China’s major rivers and a major habitat for the big cat. It is estimated that more than 1,000 snow leopards live in the area. |