China's migrant worker problem

Author: Liu Huailian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The issue of migrant workers in China today is a major problem. The basic and main vector of population change in the process of modernization is farmers moving to cities to become workers. Migrant workers are the intermediate or transitional form of this change. They enter the city to engage in non-agricultural work but have not yet changed their status as farmers or been accepted and integrated into urban society. They are at the edge of industries, the edge of urban and rural areas, and the edge of the system, forming a complex of contradictions filled with hope and challenges. The massive phenomenon of millions of migrant workers is undoubtedly characteristic of China. For a long time, we have implemented a dual-structure development policy for urban and rural areas, keeping a large surplus labor force in the countryside. Farmers have gained operational autonomy, and cities have labor demands. Once the administrative barriers hindering labor mobility are broken, large-scale labor migration will inevitably surge. Under the current land system, most farmers can retain their agricultural production materials and housing when they go abroad, without having to move their entire families away from their hometowns. On the other hand, urban household registration management, social security, and even political integration systems have not yet adapted to these changes, failing to integrate them into urban residents in a timely manner. Although farmers have moved to cities for work, their status as farmers remains unchanged, leading to the emergence of a large number of migrant workers. Using the form of migrant workers as a transitional method for population transfer during urbanization and industrialization has a certain inevitability for us. It may produce two positive effects. First, it is beneficial to directly support rural areas. Migrant workers bring home billions of yuan annually, along with external cultural information and social networks. Their role in promoting the development of impoverished rural areas is irreplaceable by fiscal transfers. Second, it helps to distribute the pressures of rapid urbanization. During the rapid development of cities, many job positions fluctuate frequently due to industrial changes and market cycles, such as in construction and some labor-intensive industries. Some job positions are inherently non-fixed and informal, such as certain service industries. Migrant workers adapt to these characteristics, providing cities with a more flexible labor supply: they can quickly increase the supply when demand is high and return to their hometowns when demand drops sharply, avoiding becoming a large group of urban unemployed. However, it must be recognized that the long-term exclusion and integration of large numbers of migrant workers, or even discrimination and neglect, will inevitably accumulate many contradictions. If not properly addressed, this could create significant instability. Comrade Liu Huailian's book is a valuable attempt to systematically study the issue of migrant workers. The author has extensively collected data and research findings from various fields, using historical, domestic, and cross-disciplinary comparisons to build a relatively comprehensive platform for studying migrant worker issues, which helps people grasp and explore this problem as a whole. Considering that the author also holds local leadership positions in central China, it is even more commendable. Because the issue of migrant workers is not only a theoretical problem but also a practical one, serving as a key starting point for coordinated urban-rural development. If this issue is well-handled, China's modernization process can proceed more smoothly. It is hoped that more and more people will pay attention to the issue of migrant workers.