The Role of Migrant Labour in China's Labour Policy

Abstract

Migrant workers have become a major component of China's labour force in the manufacturing sector, and therefore an important force in the country's economic modernization. Yet, for a long time, migrant workers were perceived as peasants by the Chinese authorities, and were excluded from the scope of the state's labour policy. In the new century, the government has begun to consider them as an important part of the manufacturing labour force, and attempt to protect their rights through adjustments in its labour policy. However, in many aspects, migrant workers are still considered “pseudo labourers”. This article attempts to examine the issue of migrant workers within the framework of the state's labour policy. The socio-economic problems associated with migrant workers will not be resolved until they are treated as a proper part of the labour force, and granted the same legal and policy protection as urban workers.