Women say they are overlooked for promotions, raises

BEIJING: Chinese women working full-time are not only longing for economic independence, they are also working for a sense of job satisfaction and fulfillment, a recent survey has found.

It shows that despite their steadily improving social status, 66 percent of working women believe men are favored for promotions and raises, even when they are capable of the same work.

Meanwhile, about 70 percent of respondents are working for companies in which women account for 30 percent or less of the senior executives and managers.

Launched by the Sun Media Group before International Women’s Day, the survey interviewed more than 5,000 women through online polls, telephone calls and face-to-face talks.

“Women have come to a career bottleneck,” Yang Lan, a CPPCC member and popular TV presenter, said in an interview with cnr.cn.

“The number of women decision-makers in companies is far from enough. It is not because they don’t have opportunities or they are unqualified.”

Yang said the current retirement rules have created a glass ceiling for women. For instance, both men and women reach the peak of their careers in their late 40s. Women, however, are less favored for promotions since they retire at the age of 55, five years earlier than men.

“We hope society can provide an equal opportunity for women to enter senior management levels,” she said.

Working women’s rights to take maternity leave should also be fully respected, she said.

Another CPPCC member, Dai Xiuying, suggested that more women should be invited to State and local political bodies.

She said the proportion of women deputies and CPPCC members reached only about 10 percent this year.

Feng Ying, another CPPCC member and head of the Central Ballet Troupe, appealed for more support for female ballet dancers after they leave the stage.

“Most female dancers face a short career life,” she said.

“Dancers usually start training at the age of 7 and they have the opportunity to perform on the stage when they are 17 or 18.

“On one hand, they find a lot of success on the stage, but on the other hand, they lose the opportunity to go to university or college. When they retire, usually at the age of 40, they are not qualified to do other jobs because they didn’t get a university certificate,” she said.

Feng, a former ballet dancer herself, said dancers of her generation worried less about life after retirement, because they would be assigned other administrative duties in the work unit.

“However, young female dancers nowadays have many concerns about finding a proper job. Some of the good dancers quit at a young age, becoming actresses and fashion designers, which provides them with more money,” she said.

Feng called for universities and colleges to provide academic training programs for ballet dancers, so that they will be granted certificates and be more qualified for other careers.

BEIJING – China’s top legislator Wu Bangguo delivered a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) Tuesday afternoon to the parliament’s annual session.

Following are the highlights of Wu’s report:

Overall work of 2009 

Over the past year, the NPC Standing Committee deliberated 22 draft laws and draft decisions on relevant legal issues, passed 14 of them, heard and deliberated 14 work reports from the State Council, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, adopted two resolutions, investigated compliance with three laws, approved seven treaties and accords China concluded with foreign countries and its accession to international conventions, and made decisions on and approved the appointment and removal of a number of employees in state organs, thus making further contributions to building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Establishing socialist legal system with Chinese Characteristics

Last year was a key year for reaching the goal of creating a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010.

– The NPC Standing Committee revised the Electoral Law of the National People’s Congress and Local People’s Congresses, which proposes electing deputies to people’s congresses based on the same population ratio in urban and rural areas and assures an appropriate number of deputies from every locality, ethnic group, and sector.

– The NPC Standing Committee enacted the Law on Tort Liability, the Law on Mediation and Arbitration of Rural Land Contract Management Disputes, the National Defense Mobilization Law, the Law on the People’s Armed Police Force, the Law on Diplomatic Personnel Stationed Abroad, and the Law on the Protection of Offshore Islands. It revised the procedural rules for the Standing Committee, the Postal Law, the Statistics Law, and the Copyright Law, and passed a decision granting jurisdiction over Hengqin Island, where the new campus of the University of Macao is located, to the Macao Special Administrative Region.

– The NPC Standing Committee repealed eight laws and decisions on related legal issues, revised 141 clauses of 59 laws, and identified a number of other laws that clearly need to be revised.

– This year, the Standing Committee will finish deliberating and revising the draft Social Security Law, continue to deliberate the draft Law on Administrative Enforcement, submit for deliberation the draft VAT Law and the draft Law on Vehicle and Vessel Tax, research and formulate a People’s Mediation Law, Law on Education and Correction of Illegal Acts, Law on the Application of Laws to Civil Relationships Involving Foreign Interests, and Law on the Protection of Our Natural Heritage, and urge relevant authorities to promptly draw up drafts for laws, including the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Social Assistance Law.

– The Standing Committee will revise the Law on Deputies to the People’s Congress and the Organic Law of Villagers’ Committees, the Administrative Supervision Law and the Budget Law, continue to deliberate the draft amendment to the Law on State Compensation, research revisions to the Land Administration Law, Forest Law, Water and Soil Conservation Law, Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases, and Law on Officers in the Reserve Forces.

– The Standing Committee will supervise and guide the State Council and local people’s congresses in thoroughly amending their existing administrative regulations and local statutes and completing the work by the end of the year, ensure NPC deputies fully play their role in legislative work, expand the orderly participation of our citizens in the legislative process, and continue to improve the filing and examination of normative documents.

Overseeing economic work

– The Standing Committee focused on maintaining steady and rapid economic development in the past year. It heard and deliberated reports of the State Council, carried out investigations and studies closely related to the economic difficulties, and made special arrangements to hear and deliberate reports of the State Council on transforming the pattern of economic development and restructuring the economy and on promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

– This year, the Standing Committee will focus on transforming the pattern of economic development, and strengthen oversight of economic work.

China’s top legislator Wu Bangguo said Tuesday that the top legislature would ensure the goal of formulating a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics be achieved by the end of this year as scheduled.

The goal is the “bounden duty” and “primary task” of the National People’s Congress (NPC) this year, Wu said in a report on the work of the NPC Standing Committee delivered at the ongoing annual NPC session.

Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the legislature would promptly formulate new laws, revise some existing laws, and make legislation more scientific and democratic, in order to meet the goal set at the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

He also promised to supervise and guide efforts to sift through administrative regulations and local statutes, and improve the filing and examination of normative documents.

A socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics has been basically established and there are now laws that cover almost every area of China’s economic, political, cultural and social activities, Wu said.

However, he noted that rapid economic and social development continue to place new demands on China’s legislative work.

In the past year, an important item on the committee’s agenda was revision of the Electoral Law.

The amendment proposes electing deputies to people’s congresses based on the same population ratio in urban and rural areas and assures an appropriate number of deputies from every locality, ethnic group, and sector.

Wu said the amendment, which has been submitted to the ongoing NPC session for deliberation, better embodies the principle that “all people, all localities, and all ethnic groups are equal.”

The NPC Standing Committee also intensified legislative input on a green and low-carbon economy in order to address climate change, Wu said.

It revised the Law on Renewable Energy, which further defined the main content and principles for formulating plans to develop and use renewable energy.

The committee also enacted six laws in 2009 on tort liability, settlement of land disputes, national defense mobilization, the armed police force and others.

This year, one major legislative task for the committee is to finish deliberating and revising the draft Social Security Law, a major issue that has drawn wide attention as it affects hundreds of millions, Wu said.

The draft law allows workers to transfer their basic old-age insurance accounts from one locality to another. It also stipulates that the state would gradually set up a new satisfactory old-age insurance system for rural residents.

Other major legislative efforts underway include deliberation of the draft Law on Administrative Enforcement and the draft amendment to the Law on State Compensation, which, respectively, clarifies the set limits of authority and the administrative enforcing bodies, and makes it easier to seek compensation.

The draft amendment to the Organic Law of Villagers’ Committees, also under deliberation, mainly revises and supplements provisions in order to improve procedures for electing and dismissing members of villagers’ committees.

Last year, the top legislature repealed eight laws and decisions on related legal issues, revised 141 clauses of 59 laws, and identified a number of other laws that clearly need to be revised, Wu said.

A massive earthquake measuring 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale struck southern Chile early Saturday, knocking out power and driving people in panic into the streets.

At least six people were killed by the earthquake, which was capable of major damage, said President Michelle Bachelet.

The earthquake struck 320 km southwest of Santiago at a depth of 59.4 km 3:34 a.m. (0634 GMT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A Xinhua reporter said that when the earthquake struck, he felt his house shaking and heard a squeaky sound for nearly 40 seconds. Shortly after that, electricity was disrupted and everything fell into darkness.

Telecommunications also were disrupted, with almost all telephone and mobile phone calls disconnected, the reporter said.

Many people in the neighborhood ran out to the street in panic. Helicopters were seen hovering in the air.

Witnesses said many building were damaged but how big the scale of the damage was not immediately clear.

Tsunamis carrying waves as high as 1.5 meters and traveling at 800 km per hour to the north and south were generated by the tremendous earthquake, CNN reported.

Imminent danger warnings were issued for the entire coasts of Chile and Peru and a less-urgent tsunami watch was issued for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica.

Source: Xinhua

Residents in 19 provinces facing the Pacific in the Philippines have been urged to move to higher grounds, as the tsunami is expected within hours.

The first tsunami waves are expected to arrive between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. local time (0500 GMT and 0630 GMT). These waves may continue for hours, Phivolcs said.

People are advised to stay away from the shoreline during this period, and should not go to the coast to watch the tsunami. Boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal waters were urged to return to shore.

Hundreds of residents in the east coast of Mindanao in southern Philippines have moved to higher grounds.

Waves hit the coastal area in the village of Kidalapong, forcing at least 100 people to evacuate to higher grounds, Inquierer.net quoted Victorina Mendez, police chief of Malita in Davao Del Sur, as saying.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said Sunday that the Pacific Tsunami Alert Center does not include Indonesia among Asia-Pacific countries affected by the Chilean earthquake.

On its website, the center paints Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost territory that faces the Pacific, green, as an indication that an area is safe from the impacts of the tsunami.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on Saturday lifted a tsunami warning for Hawaii which “dodged a bullet” as tsunami waves passed by.

“We clearly had a tsunami in the water and we had to evacuate,” said Gerard Fryer of the center, adding it looks like Hawaii “dodged a bullet” since the worst seemed to have passed.

Governor Linda Lingle said Hawaii escaped the tsunami unscathed.

The authorities received no report of damage in any county, said Lingle, calling it “a great day now that it’s over.”

The first waves of tsunami triggered by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile began to affect Hawaii just before noon, slightly later than predicted.

However, the tsunami warning center said more waves could follow.

Experts urged people to remain cautious as the following waves of tsunami, which are unpredictable and can last for hours, may be more powerful than the first ones.

More than 300 people have been reportedly killed in Chile after a 8.8-magnitude megaquake hit the country on Saturday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

After the major earthquake, at least 25 aftershocks ranging from 5 to 6.9 magnitudes on the Richter scale have been registered.

To the moment, 22 people have been reportedly rescued alive, while millions of others are believed affected by the massive quake.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has sent three rescue teams to the affected areas, while declaring many parts of the country as catastrophe zones and calling on residents to remain calm.

TSUNAMI THREATS ACROSS PACIFIC

Countries and regions across the Pacific are on high alert against a tsunami triggered by the earthquake.

The first wave of the tsunami hit Japan’s outlying islands at around 12:48 a.m. local time (0348 GMT) Sunday. But the initial waves were just 10 cm high.

The waves first hit Ogasawara islands off Japan’s main island. The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted it will soon reach other parts of the Pacific coastline of the country.

Local governments has urged thousands of households in northeast Japan to evacuate, where the waves are expected to be more than 3 meters high. Transportation on many lines of the railway system has also been suspended due to the tsunami.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department said Sunday that those staying at the coastal areas of southern Sabah are advised to stay away from the beaches as there are likely rough sea conditions on Sunday.

According to a statement issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, the Chilean earthquake had triggered tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean, affecting countries and regions such as Mexico, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Tonga and Samoa Islands.

The Philippines has raised the tsunami alert to Level 2, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Sunday.

Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, arrived in Seoul on Thursday, wrapping up his three-day stay in Pyongyang.

Arriving at the Osan Air Force Base at local time 12:42 (0342 GMT), he is scheduled to brief the U.S. government on the result of the trip through a phone call, and to head for Seoul’s foreign ministry to meet with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.

Thirty-one foreign ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean islands on Saturday started here their Unity Summit which will run parallel with two other summits of the region.

High on the agenda is the stocktaking of solidarity in the region while the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will hold its inaugural summit beginning Sunday and the Rio Group will hold its summit beginning Monday.

“We have now agreed upon a common agenda. This shared platform will allow us to overcome obstacles of earlier times,” said Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa at the opening session of the Unity Summit.

The Mexican foreign minister said that the unity of the region has an emotional resonance because Mexico and many other nations in the region are celebrating the 200th anniversary of independence or the start of their independence campaigns.

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo was the first to arrive for the summit among 26 heads of states or governments who have confirmed participation along with their foreign ministers.

Lugo’s first statement upon arrival concerned his country’s top soccer player Salvador Cabanas who was shot in the head in Mexico City and is recovering from his wounds in hospital.

Cabanas “is in the hearts of all Paraguayans. It is an incident that has brought together the peoples of Mexico and Paraguay,” Lugo said at the Cancun airport.

Foreign ministry officials said Saturday that Peruvian President Alan Garcia would not attend the Unity Summit but gave no explanation.

Honduras will not be present either. The Mexican foreign minister has earlier explained that the country could not be invited until the Organization of American States has ruled on the status quo of the country.

Mexico has hosted ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and later acted as mediator between Zelaya and interim leader Roberto Micheletti who came to power after the coup on June 28 of last year.

A Brazilian embassy official said Saturday that Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva would meet with his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Unity Summit.

The media in Brazil and Mexico have been speculating that the two leaders will launch negotiations for a free trade agreement and may unveil the details of a 2.5-billion-dollar investment in Mexico by Brazilian petrochemicals giant Braskem.

Mexican lawmakers have signed a joint declaration with their Cuban counterparts calling for more cooperation and trade between the two countries by lowering import tariffs.

The Mexico-Cuba relations were estranged during the reign of Vicente Fox who lost Mexican presidency to Calderon in 2006.

Chile is taking over the rotating presidency of the Rio Group at this summer after Mexico has served its two-year term.

The group is managed by a troika made up of the current holder of the rotating presidency, the previous and succeeding holders.

The countries that have sent delegations to the Unity Summit are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nevis, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, Saint Lucia, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Many Americans complained that they have more chances to get traffic tickets during the current economic recession because the government has raised fines and police officers are stricter in enforcing the law.

State and local budget crisis in California are causing more municipalities to increase fines for driving and parking infractions as a way to boost revenue, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The ticket for an expired meter in Los Angeles jumped from 40 U.S. dollars in 2008 to about 50 dollars last year, and “fix-it” tickets for minor moving violations such as broken taillights increased more than doubled, the paper reported.

Local cities are asking for stricter measures to enforce the law. Los Angeles and other cities are urging the Legislature to allow them to place wheel boots on cars that have three unpaid parking tickets. Currently, the law allows the boot only after a driver accumulates five parking tickets.

In Los Angeles alone, officials estimated the change would help them recover overdue parking citations totaling up to 61 million dollars, according to the paper.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants cities and counties to install speed sensors on red-light cameras to catch speeding cars. Fines would range from 225 to 325 dollars, and state officials estimated the change would generate more than 300 million dollars for the state through the end of 2011.

Not only California, government agencies across the country are increasingly boosting parking ticket fees, jacking up the fines for moving violations and looking for other creative ways to make drivers pay more, according to the paper.

Revenue from red-light cameras is also on the rise, doubling in Los Angeles from 200,000 dollars a month in 2007 to 400,000 dollars a month at the end of 2009, according to estimates by the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Some California cities even let drivers choose between paying a fine or adding points to their record for a traffic ticket.

Police officers from the City of Long Beach in Southern California have started a policy to ask drivers who have been caught speeding whether they are willing to pay the state ticket, which gives them a point on their driving record, or pay the municipal fine with no point but more expensive.

Moreover, the new technology such as the photo enforcement program has increased the chance for violators to be caught.

In less than eight years, photo enforcement programs run by more than two dozen agencies in Los Angeles County have added a new degree of efficiency to catching violators and capturing revenue, according to the paper, and fines for red-light traffic violations in Los Angeles County have jumped nearly 65 percent from 271 dollars to 446 dollars.

In November alone, Los Angeles County’s Superior Court system processed an estimate 13,000 red-light tickets. Local agencies with camera systems generated nearly 1.6 million dollars in revenue, with an even larger portion of the fines flowing to a combination of state and judicial programs, according to estimates by the paper.

Los Angeles’ red-light traffic camera program netted more than 6 million dollars last year after expenses. The program could be significantly expanded under a contract to be negotiated over the next 14 months, the paper said.

However, the red light photo program has been challenged.

There is a lawsuit against 13 local governments in Florida, some local cities are dumping red light cameras in California, and the city council in Moreno Valley, voted 3-1 to shut down the automated ticketing machines that have been operating since 2008.

“Due to legal activities in the state legislature in the past few years regarding red light photo enforcement and the lack of public support for the program, city council’s consensus is to discontinue the existing red light photo enforcement service at the end of its 2-year pilot program,” Public Works Director Chris A. Vogt wrote in a memo.

The Loma Linda City Council appeared unanimous in its desire to terminate the red light camera contract with Redflex.

Some states like Florida have policies to provide financial incentive for police officers to issue tickets. To get more incentives, some officers abused the system. A Florida highway patrol officer was recently charged with issuing traffic tickets against motorists who had done nothing wrong.