HARBIN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang has called for more efforts to create jobs and safeguard the rights and interests of employees.

    Zhang made the remarks during his inspection tour in the country's northernmost Heilongjiang Province from Aug. 13 to 16.

    Employment and labor rights protection have a direct bearing on people's well-being and social stability, he said.

    He urged officials to make more efforts to create jobs, optimize employment structure and offer more professional training courses to minimize unemployment.

    Local governments should solve problems of delayed payments and strictly abide by the labor contract law, which took effect on January 1 this year and which has been regarded as a pro-employee legislation.

    He said that the major task now was to promote reform on the old-age pension system, set up a system that covered all urban citizens as soon as possible, and to actively explore a system that soundly covered migrant workers and people in the rural areas.