Laws of the People's Republic of China

    Article 1  These Provisions are formulated pursuant to the provisions of
the Constitution of the People's Republic of China for the purposes of
rational disposition of working hours and holidays of workers and staff,
maintaining their right to rest, mobilizing their working initiative,
improving the development of socialist modernization construction.

    Article 2  These Provisions shall be applicable to workers and staff
engaged in all state organs, social organizations, enterprises, institutional
organizations and other organizations within the territory of the People's
Republic of China.

    Article 3  The State stipulates the system of working 8 hours per day, and
44 hours per week on the average for workers and staff.

    Article 4  Workers and staff who are under special working conditions or
have special situation and need the working hours to be shortened reasonably
shall implement the relevant provisions of the State.

    Article 5  Workers and staff who can not fix their working hours timingly
because of the limitation of their working situation and obligation shall
carry out the working hours of no more than 44 hours per week on the average.

    Article 6  No unit or individual shall extend the working hours of their
workers and staff without authorization. When the working hours are necessary
to extend for the purpose of special case or emergent assignment, it shall be
implemented according to the relevant provisions of the State.

    Article 7  All state organs and institutional organizations shall
institute unified working hours. As of the date of implementation of these
Provisions, Saturday and Sunday of the first week are regulated as holiday and
only Sunday is the holiday for the second week, and this order shall be cycled
successively afterwards.

    Article 8  The Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Personnel shall be
responsible for the interpretation of these Provisions. The implementation
measures shall be formulated by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of
Personnel.

    Article 9  These Provisions shall enter into effect on March 1, 1994. In
cases when it is difficult for any unit to institute these Provisions on March
1, 1994, the effective date may be postponed with a deadline of May 1, 1994.