The draft labor contract law, which is likely to be adopted by China's national legislature when it ends its weeklong session on Friday, has been revised to punish government officials for abuse of office and dereliction of duty.

Officials abusing their authority or neglecting their responsibilities, resulting in harm to the interests of workers, will face administrative penalties or criminal prosecution if the actions are serious enough, according to the revised draft.

Lawmakers lambasted officials involved in the forced labor scandal in north Shanxi Province during their fourth deliberation on the draft, which resulted in the revision, said Yang Jingyu, chairman of the Law Committee, on Thursday.