BEIJING, July 14 -- Law enforcement should be enhanced and employment expanded to prevent workers from being forced to work overtime, says a signed article in People's Daily. An excerpt follows:

    Gan Hongying, a 35-year-old garment worker in Guangzhou, died from overwork on May 30. Her case was by no means an isolated one.

    According to the Labour Law and related regulations, clear restrictions exist on the amount of overtime that can be worked. As long as management strictly enforces the law, the situation will improve greatly.

    But solving the problem will not be that simple. Overtime is common in developed regions where there are many private firms. Many workers are either sacked or have some of their pay docked if they refuse to work overtime or extra shifts. Their lawful rights and interests cannot be guaranteed.

    What makes matters worse is the country's increasingly serious employment situation, with more than 14 million workers looking for jobs.

    To maximize their own interests, enterprises are unwilling to improve their salaries or employ more people. If the cost of breaking the law is not high, they will try to force employees to work overtime, and pay little or even no overtime wages if possible.

    Under such circumstances, it will be difficult to expand employment opportunities. And as the situation worsens, it will be even more difficult for the law to be enforced.

    With the growing numbers of people ready to take their places, few workers are willing to turn down overtime. Even some urban white collars with better consciousness and ability to protect their legal rights and interests will give up their own time to work for better performances and compete with others.

    Meanwhile, migrant labourers face an even worse situation. Although there is a shortage of migrant labourers in certain regions, the supply of migrant labour generally exceeds demand. And their consciousness and ability to protect their own rights and interests are weak. It is therefore hard for them to refuse overtime.

    Given these massive pressures, most workers have little choice but to accept overtime.

    Unless employment pressures can be eased, this situation will continue.

    The whole of society should be mobilized to help protect workers' interests, a process that can also be assisted by stricter regulation.