Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree to publish a regulation on guaranteeing payments of wages to rural migrant workers, which will go into effect on May 1.

To ensure that rural migrant workers get their wages on time and in full, the regulation has clauses on clarifying the responsibilities of employers and related government departments, regulating wage payment and responsibilities for paying off arrears, detailing rules for special areas and strengthening supervision.

Market entities should take the lead under the supervision of the government and the society. Local governments and departments including human resources and social security, housing and urban and rural development, transport, finance should also assume supervision responsibility, with labor unions and the media playing their parts, the regulation said.

Trade unions, the Communist Youth League, the Women's Federation, the Disabled Persons' Federation, and news media should also be given a role in receiving reports and complaints, to achieve multi-party governance, the regulation added.

It is clearly stated in the regulation that wage payment must be made by bank transfers or cash, instead of material objects or marketable securities.

Employers are required to pay wages in full in accordance with payment term and specific payment dates, and make ledgers in written form which should be kept for at least three years, according to the regulation.

It clarified responsibilities of employers for paying off arrears to migrant workers. Funds for government-related projects should be pledged and construction units shall not undertake construction without being paid, according to the regulation.

The document also detailed rules in engineering construction.

Supervision should be strengthened to ensure wage payment. Human resources and social security departments have authority to access financial information of related units.

The document identified corresponding legal responsibilities for any breach of the regulation.