BEIJING, Dec. 13 -- Property developers in Beijing must insure migrant employees for industrial injuries before they start new construction programs, the municipal government has ordered.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Labor and Social Security and Beijing Municipal Construction Committee have issued a notice to ensure all migrant workers on construction sites are covered by industrial injury insurance.

"More than a million migrant workers in Beijing were insured for industrial injury by the end of October, few of whom worked for construction firms," said Wang Dexiu, deputy chief of the bureau.

Migrant workers who suffered industrial injuries were usually fired by their employers with little compensation due to the lack of insurance, said Wang.

The notice ordered all development companies to pay industrial injury insurance fees to the local social security departments before they launch any new programs.

Migrants who had signed contracts with the companies would be able to enjoy the benefits of the insurance.

Migrant workers who are disabled because of the industrial injuries can get life-long financial support, according to the notice.

Some 900,000 migrant workers are working in construction sites in Beijing, only 24 percent of whom are covered by industrial injury insurance.