Re-Visiting the Chinese 'Land-Mark Cases' of Employment Discrimination in Light of Theories of Employment Discrimination and American Adjudication Practice

The People's Republic of China (PRC) is an old country with a socialist orientation of its characteristics. Thus, actual empowerment and rights recognized by the working force are something that seeks attention. But the age of labor law as well as social movements for guaranteeing worker's rights is a very young legal regime and practice while comparing it with the American counterpart. The Labour Contract Law of PRC started and promulgated in 1994 and the first social movement of workers against employment discrimination happened only at the beginning of this millennium. The social movements of Chinese workers against employment discrimination and passed through right-based litigation gave a clue and hint that workers can guarantee their constitutional rights if properly alleged before courts of law as per constitutional rights. Because the Chinese courts have an active role in judicial activism, it is difficult to say that the Chinese employment discrimination cases are judge-made. Thus, this paper tried to re-examine the 'grand employment discrimination cases in light of the distinguished jurisprudence of theories of discrimination and American adjudication. The paper argued that though the employment discrimination cases of Chinese are at the beginning stage, they are a breakthrough by themselves and should be developed further in light of the basic theories of discrimination and Chinese Courts should draw lessons as well strengthen their independence.