Chinese Pneumoconiosis Patient Reported Company Violations, Then Received a 50,000-Yuan Fine

A 36-year-old Chinese worker suffering from advanced pneumoconiosis has drawn widespread attention after reporting alleged occupational health violations by a company he had worked for, only to receive a 50,000-yuan administrative fine himself several months later.

The fine has now been withdrawn by health authorities, but the worker's efforts to obtain a formal occupational disease diagnosis and compensation remain unresolved.

The man, identified as Li Weizhi, worked in Kunming, Yunnan Province, installing stone countertops. According to his account, he began accepting work assignments from a company in May 2020 and frequently worked in dusty environments. He said he was not provided with adequate occupational health training or protective masks. In July 2023, he was clinically diagnosed with suspected stage-three pneumoconiosis and was no longer able to continue working.

After becoming ill, Li repeatedly sought occupational disease-related documents from the company but said he was unable to obtain them. In June 2025, he reported the company to the Kunming Wuhua District Health Bureau, alleging violations of China's occupational disease prevention regulations and asking authorities to help obtain the materials needed for an occupational disease diagnosis.

The health authorities subsequently fined the company 210,000 yuan.

However, several months later, Li himself received a 50,000-yuan administrative penalty.

The Wuhua District Health Bureau said Li had accepted work involving occupational hazards despite lacking adequate protective conditions. The penalty was based on Article 31 of China's Law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases, which prohibits individuals or organizations without appropriate protective conditions from accepting work that creates occupational disease hazards.

Li challenged the decision in court, arguing that he was an ordinary worker selling his labor rather than an operator or contractor responsible for organizing hazardous work.

His lawyer, Ma Kan, argued that applying the provision to Li in this manner effectively transferred responsibility for occupational safety from the company to a worker who was exposed to the hazards. The lawyer said the provision should primarily apply to individuals acting as business operators, contractors or organizers of work rather than ordinary employees or laborers.

The dispute subsequently went before the Wuhua District People's Court. The case was heard on May 25, 2026, but a final judicial ruling had not been issued.

Then, on September 18, the Wuhua District Health Bureau delivered a formal decision withdrawing the 50,000-yuan administrative penalty.

According to the withdrawal document, the health bureau reviewed the case files, enforcement procedures and relevant procedural requirements and decided to revoke the original administrative penalty. The document did not specifically state that the previous legal interpretation had been incorrect.

Li described the withdrawal as an important development but said it was not the end of his case. His main objective remains obtaining the documentation necessary for a formal occupational disease diagnosis.

Although he has received a clinical diagnosis of stage-three pneumoconiosis, Li has not obtained the formal occupational disease diagnosis required under the relevant legal process. Without that recognition, he has also faced difficulties seeking work-related injury compensation.

Li has continued pursuing administrative and legal channels. He has reportedly applied to the Yunnan provincial government for administrative reconsideration, seeking action to facilitate the occupational disease diagnosis process.

The case has raised broader questions about how occupational disease victims can obtain medical documentation and compensation when their employment relationship is disputed or when there is no formal labor contract.

For Li, the withdrawal of the 50,000-yuan fine removes one immediate legal burden, but it does not resolve the central issue: obtaining formal recognition of his occupational disease and securing the compensation and protections available to workers who suffer serious health consequences from workplace exposure.

The case remains ongoing, with Li saying he intends to continue pursuing the relevant legal and administrative procedures.