A double standard on high-temperature subsidies

Government officials in several Chinese cities work at most six hours a day, according to several reports. In contrast, a construction worker in Fujian province died from toiling in searing hot weather. Where is the social equality, asks a Beijing News editorial (excerpts below).

Had A Qiang been alive to hear that government officials in several cities work less than six hours a day in air-conditioned offices, he might have jumped in disbelief.

On June 6, when the temperature reached 36 C, the construction worker died after laboring outdoors for many hours in Fuzhou, Fujian province.

"His body temperature is still over 38.5 C even after death," said the doctors who tried to save him.

One might feel conflicted and divided after reading both the reports of his death and about the government officials in one sitting. As summer comes, one demographic in China, mainly government officials, enjoy the best protection against the heat. They cut down on their work hours, they use air-conditioning and they are allowed all kinds of conveniences imaginable.

But the other story is that migrant workers receive little, if any at all, in the way of amenities. More than one report shows that enterprises threaten migrant workers with termination if workers request the required high-temperature subsidy. What's more, responsible government agencies seldom punish entrepreneurs that refuse to issue high-temperature subsidies.

The result of this double standards not only hurts migrant workers, but also damages social equality. People no longer trust government agencies that abuse power for their own benefit. It is necessary for them to stop such shameless practices to avoid hurting ordinary citizens.