• The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approved the implementation of progressively raising the retirement age since 2025, aiming to address the aging issue, promote human resource utilization, and ensure social stability.
• The Regulations on Marriage Leave in Zhejiang Province have extended the 3-day marriage leave to 13 days.
• The Regulation on Safety Risk Management of Production and Business Units in Jiangsu Province comprehensively stipulate the identification, assessment, control, and reporting of safety risks in production and business units. This is the first Regulation on Safety Risk Management of Production and Business Units in China, which takes the lead in carrying out legislation on safety risk management.
• To promote the development and growth of the private economy and guide the ecological environment department to better support and serve the development of the private economy, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has gazetted the Several Measures of the Ministry of ecology and Environment for Further Promoting the Development of Private Economy.
• Updated Minimum Wage Standard of Hunan Province and Jilin Province.

Labour

< Measures of the State Council on the Implementation of Progressively Raising the Retirement Age >

< Regulations on Marriage Leave in Zhejiang Province >

Health and Safety

< Regulation on Safety Risk Management of Production and Business Units in Jiangsu Province >

Environment

< Several Measures of the Ministry of ecology and Environment for Further Promoting the Development of Private Economy >

Minimum Wage Standard Update

Hunan Province and Jilin Province

Labour

1. < Measures of the State Council on the Implementation of Progressively Raising the Retirement Age > (2024-09-13)

In order to adapt to the new demographic trends in China and fully exploit and utilize human resources, the Eleventh Session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress decided to approve the Measures of the State Council on the Implementation of Progressively Raising the Retirement Age (hereinafter referred to as the Measures), which will be implemented 1^st January 2025. The provisions on retirement age in the Interim Measures of the State Council on Placing Old, Weak, Sick and Disabled Cadres and the Interim Measures of the State Council on Workers' Retirement and Resignation will no longer be implemented. These Measures outline the key tasks related to the progressively raising the retirement age, encompassing the following aspects:

• Firstly, to progressively raising the retirement age. Starting from 1^st January 2025:
  Male workers whose original statutory retirement age is 60 years old, the statutory retirement age shall be delayed by one month every four months, gradually to 63 years old;
  For female employees whose original statutory retirement age is 55 years old, the statutory retirement age shall be delayed by one month every four months, and gradually to 58 years old;
  For female workers whose original statutory retirement age was 50 years, the statutory retirement age is delayed by one month every two months and is gradually deferred to 55 years.
• Secondly, to gradually increase the minimum number of years of contribution to the basic old-age pension.
  Starting from 1^st January 2030, over a period of 10 years, the minimum years of contribution required for employees to receive basic pensions on a monthly basis will be gradually increased from the current 15 years to 20 years, with an increase of six months each year.
• Thirdly, to implement a flexible retirement system.
  Employees who have reached the minimum number of years of contributory service for the receipt of an old-age pension may voluntarily choose to retire early within a flexible range, with the maximum advance not exceeding three years, and the retirement age cannot be lower than the original statutory retirement ages of 60 years for male employees and 55 or 50 years for female employees. For employees who have reached the statutory retirement age, they can retire later within a flexible range upon mutual agreement with their employers, with the maximum delay also not exceeding three years. In the implementation process, it is not allowed to violate the will of employees, illegally force or disguise the employees to choose the retirement age.

Additionally, the Measures also provide policy arrangements for improving the incentive mechanism for pension insurance, promoting employment, strengthening the protection of rights and interests of laborers beyond the statutory retirement age, flexible employment, and new forms of employment, facilitating early retirement for workers in special occupations and at high altitudes, and improving the elderly care and childcare service systems.

2. < Regulations on Marriage Leave in Zhejiang Province > (2024-09-27)

The Regulations on Marriage Leave in Zhejiang Province (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) were promulgated by the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress on 27^th September 2024, and has come into effect from the date of promulgation.

The Regulations stipulate that employees who register their marriage in accordance with the law are entitled to 13 days of marriage leave. National statutory holidays and rest days are not included in marriage leave. Wages, bonuses, and other welfare benefits for taking marriage leave will be paid as usual. Employees who choose to take marriage leave should take it within one year from the date of registration of their marriage. If employees cannot take marriage leave within one year due to the needs of work, after consultation with the employer, the marriage leave can be postponed for six months.

In terms of the way the leave is taken, employees can choose to take a one-time or segmented leave after consultation with the employer, providing more flexible arrangements for both employees and employers.

According to the Regulations, if an employee has registered for marriage for less than one year before the implementation date of the Regulations and has not taken any marriage leave, the Regulations shall be implemented; Those who have taken marriage leave can make up for the marriage leave according to this Regulations.

Employers should improve the internal management system for employee marriage leave, ensure the right of employees to take marriage leave, and implement employee marriage leave and their benefits.

This fully reflects the corresponding transitional arrangements made by the Regulations to ensure a smooth transition between the new and old leaves.

Health and Safety

1. < Regulation on Safety Risk Management of Production and Business Units in Jiangsu Province > (2024-11-01)

The Regulation on Safety Risk Management of Production and Business Units in Jiangsu Province (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation) was adopted at the 9^th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14^th People's Congress of Jiangsu Province on 29^th May 2024, and will come into effect on 1^st November 2024; The relevant content of the Regulation is as follows:

1. The Regulation consolidates the main responsibility of production and operation units, clarifies the main responsibility of safety risk management of production and operation units, and formulates a safety risk grading and control system. Carry out comprehensive and systematic safety risk identification and assessment.
2. The Regulation highlights the management, implements a directory-based and reporting system for serious safety risks; production and operation units shall report serious safety risks through the information platform once a year. Implement public warning for serious safety risks at a certain level. Production and operation units should publicize information of serious safety risks to their employees and set up safety warning signs in areas with serious safety risks.
3. The Regulation focuses on risk management of key and vulnerable areas, and clarifies the responsible units, management methods and specific requirements for safety risk management of specific production and operation models, such as segmented leasing of production and operation sites, factory in factory, commercial complexes and commodity trading markets.
4. The Regulation innovates the mode of safety risk supervision, the safety production management institutions and personnel of production and operation units shall supervise all departments and positions to implement graded control measures. Utilize information technology to promote precise law enforcement of safety production and establish a reporting and reward system. Establish a ‘three-in-one’ risk control system for the whole process, including active reporting by enterprises, regular inspections by grids, and precise enforcement by departments.

Environment

1. < Several Measures of the Ministry of ecology and Environment for Further Promoting the Development of Private Economy > (2024-09-14)

The Several Measures of the Ministry of ecology and Environment for Further Promoting the Development of Private Economy (hereinafter referred to as the Measures) has been gazetted by the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on 14^th September 2024.  The key tasks of the Measures are as follows:

1. Supporting green development. Accelerate the formulation and revision of pollutant emission standards, improve the accounting standards and technical specifications for carbon emissions of enterprises in key industries and carbon emission reduction of projects, establish a product carbon footprint management system, and guide enterprises to develop green and low-carbon development. Increase the supply of environmental governance services, promote large-scale recycling, and support enterprises to improve the recycling level of waste resources. Support the development of environmental protection industries, guide environmental protection enterprises to expand the scope and fields of their services, and promote the integrated development of ecological and environmental protection industries, energy conservation industries, resource recycling industries, and low-carbon industries.
2. Optimizing environmental access. Improve the level of administrative examination and approval services and implement the system of first inquiry responsibility and one-time notification service for problems encountered in enterprise investment and construction projects. Continue to implement the "three books of accounts" and the green channel mechanism for EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) approval and open up green channels for major private investment projects that meet the requirements of ecological and environmental protection. For construction projects that meet the requirements, under the principle of voluntary enterprise, explore and implement the "unified examination and approval" of environmental impact assessment and emission permits. Strengthen the policy guidance for investment in construction projects and the convergence of administrative licensing matters in the field of ecological environment for the same construction project invested by enterprises.
3. Optimizing environmental law enforcement. Implement the positive list management of ecological environmental supervision and law enforcement, and do not disturb law-abiding enterprises. Continue to standardize fees and fines for enterprises, regularly review and standardize fees for enterprises in the field of ecological environment, do a good job in regulating service fees and intermediary service fees, and promote the treatment of disguised fees and low quality and high prices, so as to effectively reduce the burden on enterprises. Strictly forbidden to "one-size-fits-all" in the field of ecological environment, coordinate livelihood protection and emergency emission reduction and implement performance-based and differentiated management and control.
4. Increase policy support. Strengthen fiscal and financial support, develop green finance, and promote innovation in EOD (ecological and environment-oriented development) models. Support participation in the trading of environmental rights and interests, encourage enterprises to voluntarily develop greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, and participates in the trading of national carbon emission rights and national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading markets. Support excellence and pilot demonstration, encourage private enterprises to create environmental performance A-level enterprises, and implement relevant incentive policies. Establish a demonstration platform for typical cases of green development and guide various market players to contribute to build a beautiful China pilot zone.

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.