More Than 66 Mln Chinese Migrant Workers Join Trade Unions

According to figures recently released by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, more than 66.74 million Chinese migrant workers, people who come from rural areas and land jobs in cities, became trade union members. The federation estimated there are 210 million migrant workers nationwide with the country＇s rural population of 900 million. The total number of trade union members increased from 123 million in 2003 to 209 million by the end of June 2008, said the federation.

Unions Protect Migrant Workers

Our story goes back to late April 2006, just before May Day. In Beijing, a local newspaper reported that at a construction site,migrant workers from poor rural villages across China were often given leftovers to eat as their employer tried by every possible means to reduce the cost. The news report instantly aroused public indignation, and Cui Ruilan, a local union leader, felt uneasy about what had happened to those migrant workers she was supposed to protect. She lost no time to intervene in her capacity as vice- chairperson of the Construction Industry Work Committee of the Beijing Municipal Federation of Trade Unions. She went down to the construction site, found the contractor and talked with him. In just a few days migrant workersthere were able to find that their food and accommodation had improved a great deal.

Problems of Rural Migrant Workers and Policies in the New Period of Urbanization

The huge migration of rural workers has new characteristics such as the bad order, high degree of concentration, low level of collective action, marginality in social status, unfair treatment, difficult integration of the new generation, and the new return trend of rural migrants, which causes ‘urban diseases’ in China. Countermeasures should be taken to develop medium-sized and small cities, integrate the labor market of the city and countryside, provide necessary public services, social security and vocational training, guide the rural migrant workers to return rationally, and help the new generation live in harmony with urban residents.

From "Migrant Workers Boom" to "Migrant Workers Scarcity"——Analysis of Institutional Bottleneck of Rural Surplus Labors Transfer in China

Through description of three-steps characteristic of dual economic theory and its practical significance to the process of industrialization and urbanization in China,and making comparative analysis between important criterion of "Lewis turning point" and current situation of rural surplus labors market in China,we can find that there exists a great deal of surplus labors in rural areas in our country,improvement of peasant income is the result of external interference of government,and demographic dividend in our country hasn't finished.These phenomena go against the theory of "Lewis turning point".So it can prove that "Lewis turning point" in China hasn't come yet.The paper points out the major factors of coexistence of "migrant workers scarcity" and labors redundancy in our country.The first one is structure contradiction of labors market;the second one is law of supply-demand of labors market;the third one is institutional barrier which hinders labors in free flow of census register and social guarantee.Therefore,if we want to realize successful transfer of rural surplus labors and the goal of industrialization and urbanization,we must promote upgrading of industrial structure,change the style of economic growth and realize harmonious development of regional economy in macrocosmic level;And in microcosmic level,we should eliminate institutional barrier which hinders transfer of rural surplus labors.

What Drives Migrants Back to Set up Firms?Return-home Entrepreneurial Intention of Rural Migrant Workers in China

The extant literature on international immigrants has discussed migrants’entrepreneurial activities in the context of Western countries but has paid little attention to return-home entrepreneurial intention(RHEI).Rural migrant workers(RMWs)in China,who used to promote rural development by remittances and were characterized by similarities with early international migrants,have gradually returned to their hometowns to initiate entrepreneurial activities.Based on the structured questionnaire conducted in 2015 and 2020in Anhui Province,China,this article combines the concept of mixed embeddedness with the idea of double-layered embeddedness and analyzes the impacts of the social,economic and institutional context in RMWs’hometowns and migration destinations on RMWs’RHEI by using binary logistic regression.The article shows that the social,economic,and institutional environments of RMWs’hometowns and migration destinations have effects on their RHEI.The embeddedness in the economic and informal institutional context in RMWs’RHEI is even more important than personal characteristics.Compared with migration destinations,RMWs’hometowns exert a more influential effect on their RHEI.However,that does not mean that the role of migration destinations can be undervalued.Actually,the better the social,economic,and institutional environments of migration destinations RMWs moved into is,the higher entrepreneurial intention they will have after returning to their hometowns.The article proposes a modified framework in combination of mixed embeddedness with double-layer embeddedness and proves that it is suitable for analyzing RMWs’RHEI.The framework has important implications for strengthening China’s RMWs to return home to start their own businesses.

Issues concerning Migrant Workers' Participation in the New Rural Cooperative Medical System and Countermeasures——Based on the Survey in Wenjiang District and Jintang County, Chengdu City

We conduct questionnaire survey of migrant workers in Wenjiang District and Jintang County of Chengdu City,respectively,using the method of key-point investigation and the sampling survey. We describe the status quo of the sample migrant workers' participation in the New Rural Cooperative Medical System,analyze the issues concerning migrant workers' participation in the New Rural Cooperative Medical System,and put forward the countermeasures and recommendations as follows: using many types of medical insurance; establishing universal reimbursement points in strange land and premium-paying system for migrant workers; making the proportion of reimbursement open and transparent; establishing and improving medicare security system for migrant workers.

An Empirical Study of the Influence of Migrant Workers' Individual Decisions concerning "Change from Rural Residents to Urban Residents" in Chongqing City

This paper,from the city integration perspective,analyzes the main beneficiaries who benefit from the household registration system reform,and studies the influence of individual decisions about the transfer from agriculture to non-agriculture. Based on it,this paper makes an empirical research by using the survey data about migrant workers in Chongqing. The research findings are as follows:( i) The urban employment,the living condition and the rural connection have a significant impact on migrant workers' transfer decision;( ii) If the value of those factors( such as the working stability,the family income,the urban house condition and the urban social security) is higher,then the migrant workers who have no economic interest in rural areas are better able to integrate into the urban areas,therefore the inclination to transfer the household registration from agriculture to non-agriculture will be much stronger. It is proposed that we should do some significant things,such as enhancing the investment of security housing,bringing the migrant workers into the city housing accumulation fund system and giving them prior allocation right,perfecting land elastic exit mechanism,creating a harmonious employment environment,which are important strategies promoting migrant workers to integrate into the urban areas and affecting their individual decision about transferring from agriculture to nonagriculture.

Analysis of Public Goods Supply of New Generation Migrant Workers' Urban and Rural Double Marginalization

Status quo of urban and rural public goods supply in China is analyzed.Firstly,public goods supply in rural areas is inadequate,for example,inadequate supply of agricultural infrastructure,lack of expenditure in agricultural science and technology,problems of rural drinking water safety,problems of rural roads and transportation,low levels of health care,weak rural public culture,short supply of farmers' education.Secondly,the system and level of urban public goods provision can't meet migrant workers' demand,for example,less migrant workers are employed by the governments' direction;migrant workers are isolated by urban housing project and these workers have difficulty in receiving city social security.One reason of new generation migrant workers facing the double marginalization of rural and urban crisis is that urban and rural public goods supply are different in particular the inadequate supply of public goods in rural areas.Three countermeasures are put forward in order to relieve new generation migrant workers' double marginalization of urban and rural,which include increasing financial input in rural areas in order to achieve equalization of urban and rural public goods,perfecting the preferential agricultural policy to increase rural public goods supply,making urban public goods supply as a guide to promote the new generation migrant workers into the city.

Preparing rural migrant workers for new jobs amid crisis

Referencing statistical yearbooks and census data,we first estimate the total number of rural migrant workers in China at about 238 million in 2008,including 71.4 million working across provinces.We also estimate how many migrant workers will be affected by the financial crisis and may lose their jobs.The coastal areas are the hardest hit.We predict that China in the first half of 2009 will face the most serious employment situation since the dawn of the new century, and that structural unemployment of rural migrant workers is the main problem.We estimate that around 34.18 million rural migrant workers would be facing the risk of structural unemployment.In order to cope with the shocks to rural migrant workers’ employment,the government should put a policy emphasis on adjusting rural migrant workers to new jobs.

General report on the status of Chinese rural migrant workers and their development trends

This paper reviews the development of the rural migrant worker issue in China since reform and opening-up began. Firstly,utilizing substantial investigation,the authors analyze the new characteristics of Chinese rural migrant workers;Secondly,authors analyze the migrant workers’ contributions to reshaping the rural landscape and to driving China’s economic development and social structural change;Finally,using a quantitative analysis model,they examine the long-term trends of rural migrant workers and their interactions with macroeconomic and social development.

Wage Levels of Rural Migrant Workers in China during 1979-2010： Estimates and Trends

Studies on long-term wage levels of rural migrant workers are rarely found in relevant literature. On the basis of systematic collection of statistical data, this paper gives a quantitative estimation of the wage level of rural migrant workers in China and its evolution following pro market reforms since 1978. Results indicate that over the past 30 years, the nominal monetary wage of migrant workers maintained a 10% average annual increase. Real wage levels adjusted by the consumer price index （CPI） experienced three stages of evolution： initially, migrant workers earned a higher average monetary salary than formal employees, whereas this situation reversed in later stages.

Analysis on the Causes of the Plight of Chinese Rural Migrant Workers＇ Endowment Insurance

At present, Chinese society is from traditional society to modern society in transition to accelerate, in the social, political, and economic structure, great changes have taken place; due to strong liquidity, migrant workers＇ groups in social security, are still in the stage of development, and there are still a lot of problems, especially the problem of endowment insurance. Although local governments develop the old-age insurance of migrant workers with their own characteristics, and have their respective advantages, but the effect is not ideal, as follows： ＂one low and one high＂, namely the migrant workers＇ participation rate was low and the insurance of migrant workers was ＂high rate of surrender＂. The reason is both within the Chinese social transformation factors, and external economic globalization competition; both obiectively, government policy implementation is not in place, and subjectively, migrant workers lack insured willing.

A discourse on creating and rendering educational and cultural enrichment services to rural migrant workers by public libraries

As far as China's enormous success in her economic reforms and development is concerned,Chinese rural migrant workers indeed have had their biggest share of contributions.Yet ironically in return,they have only received a disproportionate meager share of benefit rewards.These people represent a huge economically deprived group at the bottom of the social totem pole in China's metropolises.On the whole as a social group,their educational attainment is relatively low as compared to their average urban coworkers.As such being the case,their rights to access some of the cost-free cultural and educational enrichment programs in the society are limited and not always assured.Nevertheless and in general speaking,they manifest a strong and consistent desire to acquire all sorts of new and practical knowledge by means of accessing the resources and facilities of their local public libraries.It is suggested in this paper that public libraries are in a good position to give strong support to the central government's strategic planning for the development of a public culture service systema).In implementing such a government initiative with an unswerving purpose of advancing social justice and equality,public libraries should strife to provide as many as possible their library services at no cost to the public,especially to those socially deprived rural migrant workers.

Study on the Rual Migrant Workers＇ Willingness to Have Urban Hukou and the Choice of Urbanization Path of China in Recent Years

Based on the empirically analysis of the data from a nationwide survey in 2010 in China, the study found. （1） The overwhelming majority of rural migrant workers in China were not willing to convert their rural household registration （nongye hukou） to an urban or non-rural registration Orei nong hukou）. If they were required to return the rural land contract rights as precondition, only lOper cent were willing to be urban citizens. （2） For the small proportion of migrant workers who were willing to convert their rural household registration to urban household registration, ＇obtaining access to better education and more opportunities for the continuation of education for their children＇ is the major incentive. （3） The primary reason for retaining a rural hukou, on the other hand, is to keep their rural contract land. （4） Finally, there is no significant difference between the rural migrant workers who were born before 1980 and those after 1980, in term of the attitude toward converting rural hukou to urban hukou. The policy recommendations drew from the findings are as follows： 1） In order to promote the urbanization process, the government should choose the path of ＇urbanization based on the long term residence in the towns and cities＇ instead of the path of ＂urbanization based on household registration ＇. 2） The rural migrant workers should be converted into urban citizens without being forced to give up their contact land. 3） The government should give equal weight in policy making to the migrant workers born before 1980 and those born after 1980. Therefore, the policy emphasis of deepening the urbanization of China should focus on the ＇equalization of the resource allocation of the public services and social welfare＂ while the characteristics of the separation of the household registration system should not be strengthened any longer.

Safeguard and Protection of Migrant Workers' Interests from the Perspective of Game Theory

The status quo of the violation of migrant workers' interests is analyzed,the results are not so optimistic.The overall situation of migrant workers' training rights is poor;migrant workers 'rights to enjoy legal holiday are seriously violated;the working conditions and health protection measures are weak;migrant workers' rights to get legal payment are damaged to different degree;the social security mechanism for migrant workers is imperfect and there are still large gap between supply and demand.Combining with the relevant theories of Game theory,migrant workers' interests obtained under the situation of entering right protection organizations and do not entering the organizations are analyzed,the results show that entering right protection organizations is reasonable choice.The positive functions played by the improvement of the reputation of labor union in solving the problems of right protection are proved from the perspective of the Game Theory.Through the analysis on the operational effects of the right protection organizations of migrant workers,it can be detected that the functions of organizations owned by migrant workers themselves is mediocre but the labor union plays an important role in migrant workers' right protection.The protection of migrant workers' interests tends to legalization,so in order to further perfect the right protection of labor union,the labor union should legalize the protection of migrant workers rights.In the end the specific measures on improving the reputation of labor union are put forward.

Migrant workers' citizenization creates demand for consumption

This paper examines the mechanism and avenues through which China’s current urbanization pattern acts uponeconomic growth.Drawing distinctions among rural residents, migrant workers and urban citizens, this paper provesthat citizenization will promote balanced and sound economic growth by reducing income gaps and enlarging urbansize and human capital.The mechanism and influences are simulated using the CGE model, and the result suggeststhat an increase of 10 million urban citizens (7 million migrant workers plus their dependents) can push the economicgrowth rate up one percentage point.Citizenization will promote China’s domestic consumption and fixed-assetinvestments, reduce dependence on international trade and create greater demand for services, all important means fortransforming China’s growth pattern awareness.

An Empirical Analysis of Employment Stability and the Wage Gap of Rural Migrants in China Based on Quantile Regression

Under the background of accelerated integrated urban-rural development, this paper offers an analysis on the short-term employment of rural migrants in China and resulting wage gap between long-term and short-term rural migrants. On the basis of correcting for sample selection problems arising from labor market participation and short-term employment, rural migrants＇ wage function is estimated using quantile regression method, and wage gap between long-term and short-term rural migrants is decomposed using MM method. Our empirical results suggest that those with a higher level of education, training experience and local employment recommended by family relations or in formal labor market are more likely to secure long-term labor contract,＂ region and education have significant contributions to the wage of rural migrants,＂ rural migrants of both long- and short-term contract types have great gaps at the bottom of salary distribution; and there exists a sticky floor effect in wage difference of rural migrants. These results have important policy implications in enhancing employment stability of rural migrants, improving income distribution equity, speeding up the process of urbanization, and balancing regional development.

Government Should Adopt Policies Favouring Rural Migrants

Based on a systematic analysis of the development trends of Chinese rural migrant workers, this article has designed a model representing the flow of migrant workers from rural to urban areas, and the patterns of urban settlement. The significant factors contributing to the problems of migrant workers are assessed and suggestions for improvement put forward. This article concludes that the rural migrant worker problem is attributable to institutional set-up and strategy and will continue for the entire process of China's modernization. It is estimated that modernization will be realized in about 2050, at which time the rural-urban migration process will also be completed. To solve the problems of migrant workers, a comprehensive strategy of balanced development between urban and rural areas should be carried out, featuring industry's support of agriculture and urban support of rural areas. Furthermore, the urban-rural dual structure should be gradually eliminated through institutional reform and policy innovation. The principles of equality, humanity and fair treatment for both urban and rural populations should be sought.

Young Women Rural Migrant Workers in China’s West: Benefits of Schooling?

This paper explores the association of rural schooling with empowerment of female rural migrant workers in remote Western China.It asks what school-related intrinsic and instrumental capabilities enhanced their urban lives and their role as“drivers for development”in urbanizing China.The analysis of a long-term observational study of the females of one cluster of villages shows that recently-arrived(2015)young rural new-migrant workers manifested enhanced capabilities associated with their schooling in four dimensions of social freedoms:protective security against early arranged marriage,enhanced occupational opportunity,constructive social arrangements founded in rural identity,and cognitive and aspirational capabilities.Lower educational attainment and achievement are associated with fewer and weaker empowerment capabilities across all dimensions.Political empowerment capabilities in the sense of civil rights and entitlements have no foundation in earlier education and are lacking in their urban lives.However,a sense of“voice”is beginning to take hold among young rural migrant women.Taking a female-centric capability perspective uncovers beneficial aspects of internal migration,contributing to a more holistically theorized understanding of associated social changes.

The Predicament of Rural Development under the Strategy of Rural Revitalization

Solving rural poverty is the most urgent problem to be solved in the current rural revitalization strategy.The"alienation"of farmer organizations makes it difficult to give full play to the function of farmer organizations.The institutionalized obstacle of urban-rural dual division restricts the urban integration of migrant workers.There is an institutional conflict between the construction of new countryside and rural urbanization.It is the best way for farmers to find a suitable model for local development according to local conditions,but the exploration and practice of rural development model will be a complex and tortuous process.