He, a contractor in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, couldn't figure out why his construction workers were celebrating his pet cat's new litter of kittens. But every one of them gave him a cash gift of 100 or 200 yuan (US$12-24) "to buy milk for the cat".

The cat is no rare or noble breed worth so much attention, He thought. "We aren't trying to bribe our boss," said the workers.

"We are just grateful that He always pays our wages on time," they told Liaoshen Evening News.

At a time when overdue wage disputes between construction workers and their employers are common, He's timely paycheques seem like an extraordinary favour to his workers, the newspaper said.

Close