Discrimination against farmer-turned migrant workers still
exists in China, but they are receiving more care and gaining more
rights while the country is seeking a harmonious atmosphere for
development.
Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers stayed in cities during
the
Spring Festival holiday week. Taking Chinese cities like
Shanghai and cities in Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces, they
received from local trade unions subsidies and festival gifts
before the Chinese lunar New Year.
This was part of a special charity program targeted at migrant
workers launched by the All-China Federation of Trade
Unions?(ACFTU)?in
early January, which allocated 5 million yuan (about US$625,000)
for subsidies and gifts for the population.
It was the first time that the charity of the trade unions was
extended to migrant workers since the program was initiated 10
years ago.
The charity used to cover only needy workers who have urban
hukou, or residence certificates, said Zhang Liqun, an
official with the municipal trade union of Shanghai.
"To cover migrant workers under the charity umbrella, I think,
is one of the country's recent endeavors to give them formal
workers' treatment," Zhang said.
It was estimated that China has about 200 million farmer-turned
migrant workers. For a long time since rural migrants flowed into
cities, the population worked without the privileges their city
peers enjoyed, such as medical and work safety insurance.
They had also suffered unfavorable working conditions and low
pay, which were usually defaulted.
Unequal treatment and discrimination from urban residents
against this unprivileged population became one major concern in
the country, which not only disgruntled migrant workers themselves
but also aroused attention from the country's policy makers.
Acknowledging that migrant workers have become a major component
of the country's army of industrial workers, China's central
authorities noted last October that the country will establish
gradually a unitive labor market that incorporates both urban and
rural labor forces to ensure a fair and equal employment
mechanism.
A guideline on the solution to the problems of migrant workers
released by the State Council in mid January said that migrant
workers made great contribution to the development of the
country.
"This is the most favorable comment on our migrant workers I
have ever heard," said Xu Hanxiang, a 42-year-old migrant worker
who worked in Shanghai for eight years.
The guideline also urged enterprises and local governments to
take substantial measures to cover migrant workers under social
security umbrella and public service system.
In addition to an emphasis on the improvement of their payment,
the guideline pointed out that migrant workers' political rights
must be respected.
"The policy of the central government, however, is only a good
start. The accomplishment depends on local governments'
determination and efforts," said Pu Xingzu, a political researcher
at Fudan
University in Shanghai.
The researcher said that in the country's comparatively
developed eastern areas, local governments are taking measures to
improve the treatment of migrant workers.
Xu Hanxiang and another migrant worker attended an annual
session of the 12th Municipal People's Congress of Shanghai, or the
local legislature, as representatives of the 3.75 million rural
migrant workers in Shanghai in January.
Pu said that the two migrant workers made history in Shanghai
when they were seated at the local legislature's session. "This was
a recognition of the migrant workers' status, though not yet in a
formal document," the researcher said.
In Shanghai, more than two million migrant workers are now
covered by a special social security program, which targeted at
migrant population.
In Wuxi, a city in eastern Jiangsu Province, more than 90
percent of children of migrant workers enter local schools without
extra fees.
The residence registration system, or hukou, is
regarded as a final barrier that prevent migrant workers enjoying
equal rights and welfares with their city peers.
"Admit it or not, migrant workers have become an indispensable
part of the country's industrial labor force, and it is an
irresistible trend to let them enjoy the same rights and treatments
as their city peers," said Lu Xiaowen, an expert with the Shanghai
Academy of Social Sciences.
Currently, more than 10 provinces are implementing a pilot
program of the reform of the residence registration system. The
reform, observers say, would better status of farmer-turned migrant
workers in cities.
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2006)