China: labour administration declares an employer’s order for employees to marry as illegal

Featured image of the article China: labour administration declares an employer’s order for employees to marry as illegal
On 14 February, the local office of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security declared unlawful a directive from the Shuntian Chemical factory requiring that its single status staff marry by the 30 September or face potential termination of their employment contracts. The company thought it was responding to government expectations, which encourages employers to make their contribution to the official pro-birth policy.
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On 14 February, the local office of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security suspended a directive issued by the Shuntian Chemical factory to its approximately 1,200 employees. According to the Global Times, the memo urged single people aged between 28 and 58, including divorcees, to get married before 30 September. It stated that, if they failed to do so, the company would potentially terminate their employment contracts. The memo quickly went viral and caused an outcry, forcing the

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