Protecting the interests of migrant workers through a united
approach will be valuable, says a commentary in Beijing
News. An excerpt follows:
A conference jointly hosted by 29 cities alongside the Yangtze
River will be held in Chongqing to discuss the problems met by
migrant workers in cities, including medical insurance, their
children's education and the protection of their legal rights.
If these 29 cities reach agreement on these issues with a
practical settlement at the conference, it would mark significant
progress in protecting the interests of migrant workers and a wise
attempt by local governments to seek development that endorses
their instant interests as well as the long-term interests.
A survey on migrant workers by the National Bureau of Statistics
said that nearly 120 million rural residents left their homes to
find jobs in cities in 2004. About 70 per cent of them work in the
eastern areas of the country and 50 per cent of them work in cities
outside their home provinces.
The Yangtze River has nurtured an economic zone along its banks.
An active flow of information, capital, workers and material wealth
has been formulated within this zone.
Localities here are bound to facilitate the exchange of capital
and labour force to realize a more efficient allocation of
resources, hence sound economic development for all.
When the local governments in this economic zone can join forces
to issue policies encouraging the free flow of human resources and
protect the interests of workers, they would have gone beyond the
short-term interests of their own and made politically and
economically wise decisions.
If these policies are concrete and practical, they would
eliminate the obstacles posed by regional policies, like household
registration, reducing the costs of the employers, local
governments and the workers themselves.
At the same time, when migrant workers get substantial
protection of their rights and ensured access to social security,
the employment situation within the economic zone would be improved
and economic growth guaranteed. It would also promote the
urbanization and industrialization of the region.
The regional efforts would also stimulate the development of
related legislation at the national level and set positive examples
for other localities to make united efforts to improve their
regional economy.
(China Daily November 28, 2006)