Swindled villagers in fight for blood money
Sixty-two villagers are suing two party branch secretaries and a state-owned firm after being cheated out of money for giving blood.
Liu Jiafa and Pang Zhongcheng, who organised the donations in Haofang and Guantun - in Tongyi township, Liaoning province - only paid the villagers half the money they were supposed to get. The pair spent the rest on lavish meals and trips to Dandong.
For every 200 cubic centimetres of blood they gave, the villagers were meant to get 800 yuan (HK$744) in 1997 and 1,200 yuan in 1998, China Youth Daily said.
Since Pulandian city's Party Discipline Inspection Committee began investigating the case last July, the secretaries have been punished. The paper did not say what the punishments were.
At least five per cent of the workforce in state-owned enterprises must donate blood. If an enterprise falls below the required percentage, it is criticised and penalised.
The Dalian Heavy Industrial Group found difficulty meeting its annual target of 300 people in 1997. It decided to pay locals to reach the quota, a practice considered by the firm to be widespread.
The firm said it did not know about the discrepancies because it was not responsible for individual payments.
Since the probe began, the Blood Donation Law has been passed banning sales and purchases of blood.