China Migrant Workers Rights, Labor Movement

May 03, 2011 | Pulitzer Center

Teenage migrant workers pose in front of the electronics factory where they work in Dongguan. They are 17 years old and have recently moved here from a rural part of Guangdong province. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Migrant workers returning to Dongguan from their Chinese New Year break. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

One of the many factory compounds in the Longgang district of Shenzhen, a manufacturing hub. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

A dormitory for migrant workers in the Longgang district of Shenzhen. Many of these rooms house more than ten workers stacked in bunk beds. Privacy is very limited. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

In the Pearl River Delta's most industrialized districts, polluted streams running past a sprawling factory are commonplace. There is little concern for environmental protection. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Workers stream out of factories for their 11:30am lunch in the Longgang district, a manufacturing hub in Shenzhen. Factories often have day and night shifts so plants can run 24 hours. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Migrant workers at their lunch break buy fresh vegetables from a vendor. In neighborhoods like this one, many services cater to the workers. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Factories aren't confined to industrial areas of Shenzhen. In the neighborhood where labor organizer Zhang Zhiru's office is located, the small lanes behind the residential buildings are full of "black" (illegal) factories. They operate from storefronts located under apartment buildings. Workers lack safety equipment and because of the factories' illegal status, they are not entitled to compensation when injured. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Shenzhen workers in a "black" (illegal) factory take a break to pose for a picture. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

A young man in Dongguan recruiting on the side of the road near a cluster of factories. Recruiters and hiring notices are frequently seen after Chinese New Year, when many workers choose not to return to their jobs. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

A BYD recruiter in the Longgang district of Shenzhen. BYD, a company that manufactures automobiles and rechargeable batteries, was #1 on Bloomberg Businessweek's Top 100 companies of 2010. Another reason for increased recruitment is that factories are moving inland, taking advantage of cheaper land and cheaper labor than in the Pearl River Delta. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Applying for jobs in Dongguan during a hiring event at Kiddieland, which manufactures toys for export and is a major supplier to Carrefour, the second largest big box store. In 2010 Kiddieland was one of four Carrefour toy suppliers under investigation by China Labor Watch for violating labor laws. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

China Labor Watch conducts safety training sessions to educate workers on their rights. Many workers attending this event in Shenzhen have hand injuries sustained on the job. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

During a China Labor Watch safety training session for migrant workers in Shenzhen, there are discussions on how to claim insurance after accidents, how to appeal if workers disagree with the Labor Department, and fees that workers are entitled to claim from the factory. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

A government hospital in Shenzhen with a hand-injury ward in Bao'an district. China Labor Watch visits every Thursday. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Liu Wei, 18, recovers at a government hospital in Shenzhen from on-the-job hand injuries. China Labor Watch visits this ward every Thursday. Liu's injury occurred after the factory's removal of a machine protection shield (which increased productivity 50-60 percent). His uncle owns 30 percent of the factory and is the only one of the four owners willing to cover Liu's medical expenses. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Ling Shi Ling, 23, recovering at a government hospital in Shenzhen from on-the-job hand injuries. Image by Jocelyn Baun, China, 2011.

Millions of migrants from China’s interior come to the Pearl River Delta to work at factories in hopes of building better lives for themselves and their families. They often work and live in giant factory compounds producing goods such as shoes, electronics and toys for export, as well as for the growing domestic consumer market. Others toil at the smaller-scale “black” (illegal) factories that dot Shenzhen’s working-class residential neighborhoods.

But manufacturing in China comes at a cost. In the black factories, there are virtually no safety standards. Even in legal factories, injuries to workers are common because management values productivity far more than worker safety. Workers have little knowledge of their rights.

Transcript

The Workers