Detecting Migrant Worker Needs: An Exploration of China’s Labor NGOs

• In Event: Migration, Advocacy and Representation

Abstract

Amid China’s economic boom, a growing income inequality has spurred (OECD, 2021) in spite of China’s claim in alleviating poverty (Areddy, 2020). This wealth gap is particularly of concern for the migrant worker population; Chinese nationals who move from their home province to large, urban cities (Chan, 2013) in hopes of obtaining better employment opportunities. Due to the hukou, a system which regulates the social services of citizens to their home province, workers who move outside of their designated residence are subject to little to no social support (Chan & Ngai, 2010). This social support includes but is not limited to education, housing, and healthcare. Additionally, work prospects are primarily reserved for low wage jobs. This leads to the research question, how are the social needs of migrant workers in China supported by civil society?
Migrant work is not a new phenomenon in China, however, given that one third of the working population includes migrant workers (China Labour Bulletin 2021), it continues to be an important element regarding both economic and social factors. In fact, since the late 1980s, multiple policies have been enacted to formalize and regulate labor. Nevertheless, none have served to aid the work conditions and rights of the working class. In response, labor non-governmental organizations (LNGOs) arose in the mid-1990s (Chan, 2013; Franceschini, 2014; Gransow & Zhu; 2014) seeking to address the needs and interests of vulnerable employees. Today, LNGOs face both public distrust (Franceschini, 2014) as well as government sanctions and oversight which could hamper service provision (Franceschini & Nesossi, 2018). While the literature consistently acknowledges social disparity, it is often mentioned for context rather than a central element of the research question. In turn, examining the social needs of migrant workers provides a deeper understanding of their precarious status outside of labor-specific issues such as low wages or being overworked.
In my proposed research, I will examine the outputs and performance of labor non-governmental organizations supporting migrant workers via thematic literature review. Literature will be drawn from published works in various fields such as community development and international relations. Texts will be collected via the Scopus database using the following Boolean search: “labor” AND “NGOs” AND “China”. Through the identification of repeated words and concepts, themes will emerge concerning the activities of LNGOs and the experiences of migrant workers. In the paper I will first address the push and pull factors that cause workers to migrate. Then, I will outline the services and resources LNGOs provide migrant workers amid the political restrictions of the Communist Party of China. Lastly, I will discuss the tactics LNGOs employ to deliver services to migrant workers and close with implications of future service provision.

References

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China Labour Bulletin. Migrant workers and their children. (2021, July 26). Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-their-children

Franceschini, I., Siu, K., & Chan, A. (2016). The “rights awakening” of Chinese migrant
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Franceschini, I., & Nesossi, E. (2018). State repression of Chinese labor NGOs: a chilling
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Author

• Codi Smith, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice