Caregivers given special legal help in Yangpu District initiative

Caregivers working in Yangpu District now have a specific place to have their legal rights protected, according to the Shanghai Trade Union.

A legal aid workshop offering free legal consultations and other services to caregivers in Yangpu has been set up, becoming the first of its kind in Shanghai to offer legal aid to those with flexible work schedules.

Yangpu has about 3,000 caregivers, mostly women, working in 31 medical institutes and 52 elderly care institutes. Most are part-time workers and their employers don’t pay social insurance for them.

“They usually have to work long hours and they can’t take a rest during national holidays,” said Mai Bilian, chairman of Yangpu’s trade union. “We have to do something to protect their legal rights.”

The Shanghai Trade Union has also taken efforts to specifically protect women’s rights. Last year, it set up 735 breastfeeding rooms, known as “Care for Mother Huts,” at work places and public areas around the city. This year, another 400 will be built.