PEOPLE who work on the Labor Day (May 1), should be paid triple daily salaries, while those who work on May 2 and 3 will be paid double daily salaries, according to the Beijing Municipal Labor and social security Bureau.

The bureau also offered the method to calculate the wage base, which is the monthly salary divide by 21.75, the number of a month's normal workdays in China this year.

Taking people with a salary of 1500 yuan (US$214.6), the base wage is 69 yuan, which is calculated by dividing 1500 yuan by 21.75 days. If a person works on May 1, he or she should be paid no less than triple the base wage, which is 207 yuan. If a person works on May 2, his company should first consider arranging time to rest, otherwise it should pay double the base wage.

In addition, if the employee is clear about his or her work assignment and can independently arrange work time, the company can refuse to pay double or triple time if the employee chooses to work on the designated holidays.

The May Day holiday was reduced from three days (May 1 to May 3) to one day (May 1) in December last year. In the past, people usually worked during the weekend before May 1 and the May Day holiday was extended to seven days. This year it is for three days from May 1 to May 3.

(Ren Xianbo)