A slew of ministry-level departments, including those responsible for civil affairs, education, and market regulation have responded recently to matters of public concern.
Civil affairs workers urged to aid left-behind children
Grassroots-level authorities should understand the situation of children in rural areas whose parents have to skip returning home for the Spring Festival holiday due to COVID-19 and ensure that they have entrusted caregivers, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Jan 29.
Local civil affairs authorities should help the left-behind children communicate with their parents - mostly migrant workers in cities - via phone or video calls, the ministry said.
Timely assistance should be offered to those who do not have communication devices or are not familiar with video calls, it said.
In addition, authorities should coordinate volunteers and social workers to assist in children's studies or offer them psychological counseling during the winter vacation, the ministry added.
Education authorities start anti-bullying campaign
The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide campaign focusing on curbing bullying in primary and middle schools and safeguarding students' physical and mental health, according to a notice published on Jan 27.
The campaign involves a series of measures, including conducting thorough investigations to uncover bullying, taking necessary measures to prevent it in schools and establishing a system to report such behavior.
The ministry noted that students who bully others should be disciplined, reprimanded, warned or transferred to special schools depending on the seriousness of their offenses. Victims will be offered psychological counseling accordingly.
To prevent bullying, the ministry said that schools should offer moral, legal and mental health education as well as special training for students, and families should also play a role in curbing such behavior.
Market regulators call for more focus on food safety
The State Administration for Market Regulation has called for efforts to strengthen supervision over food safety and identify hidden risks in a timely manner to guarantee Chinese people get off to a good start as the Lunar New Year approaches.
During a video and telephone conference on Jan 13, the administration urged authorities to strengthen food supervision, regulate food business online and intensify food inspections and epidemic prevention and control measures at places where food and beverages are served.
It noted that particular attention should be paid to preventing and controlling risks in places where people gather and dine in rural areas.
To safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, the administration also said that people who violate laws and regulations, including those who publish misleading advertising on health supplements, will be severely punished.
Officials to ensure migrant workers paid before holiday
Officials will take more concrete measures to ensure that migrant workers from rural regions get properly paid before the Spring Festival this month.
During a videoconference on Jan 22, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said that a wage overhaul launched in November has made progress in punishing employers responsible for such practices as wage deductions and delays and has effectively protected migrant workers' rights.
The ministry required local authorities to realize the importance of ensuring migrant workers get paid in full and to pool efforts from all related parties.
It said that companies that frequently hold back wages will be summoned and warned.
According to the ministry, measures will be taken to ensure that all migrant workers whose wages are withheld will be paid before the Spring Festival holiday through various solutions including mediation, arbitration, law enforcement and the government's emergency subsidies.
