Illegal Foreign Workers On The Rise In China As Factories Face Labor Shortages

[AndrewJin]

WE CENTRAL CHINA PROVINCES DON'T NEED LOW VALUE-ADDED INDUSTRY!

 

[kankan326]

You need both.

The problem is that even after removing your birth control policy, the fertility rate will not reach the replacement ratio which is 2.1

Come on, be sensible. Even if you start making babies now, you still have to wait 20 years for them to grow up.

These factories need workers now.

The situation is not that bad as you think. The biggest problem for our government is still how to maintain employment rate. The illegal labors problem is caused by high human resource cost, not because of lack of labors. Even if we have the problem, we can just move the labor intensive industries to other countries.

If you hire cheap labor, pay become stagnant. Factory will not have incentives to move up market Which requires higher paying jobs.

These factory either needs to move to Vietnam or automate and create high paying jobs.

With immigrants social problems will come with it. We now have millions of illegal immigrants we cannot get rid of.

I agree with you. Immigrants will produce more complex problems, like race and religion conflicts. Introducing immigrants is actually 饮鸩止渴（drink poison water to quench thirsty).

 

[AndrewJin]

The situation is not that bad as you think. The biggest problem for our government is still how to maintain employment rate. The illegal labors problem is caused by high human resource cost, not because of lack of labors. Even if we have the problem, we can just move the labor intensive industries to other countries.


I agree with you. Immigrants will produce more complex problems, like race and religion clashes. Introducing immigrants is actually 饮鸩止渴（drink poison water to quench thirsty).

Yep, 饮鸩止渴.
Europe has already taught us a lesson, there are more solutions to these problems, they are not so efficient but healthy in the long run.

 

[Srinivas]

Seems the factory owners are recruiting from other nations to keep up the competitive edge, China cannot move all the factories inland nor they can build new ones there, because the urban will loose their jobs.

If they try to relocate the rural population to urban centres cities will get crowded and unemployment levels will rise.

Manufacturing is like a Baton, it will be passed from one country to other if countries follow the age old patterns of the west.

Chinese police apprehended more than 5,000 illegal foreign workers in southern Guangdong Province last year, according to Chinese media, in what experts say is an indication of a growing labor shortage in the region.

The Guangzhou Daily newspaper said most of those detained were young people in their 20s and 30s from neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. It did not specify which countries they came from, but details in the story suggested that some had come across the border from Vietnam. Most had been working in factories in the province, which is home to much of China’s manufacturing industry.

The paper said some of the workers had been smuggled into southern China by people traffickers known as "snakeheads." It gave the example of a shoe factory in the city of Dongguan, where police found 53 illegal workers who had been smuggled into China. The workers, the majority of them young women, reportedly often had to work more than 10 hours a day, for between $1.30 and $1.60 an hour -- below the local minimum wage.

They had no insurance and spent most of their time in the factory for fear of being detained. Two people traffickers based at the factory took a cut of around 20 percent of their wages, and were also responsible for transferring much of the remainder to the workers’ families back home.

Nevertheless, the newspaper quoted some of the foreign workers as saying that they could earn between five and seven times as much in China as they would in their home country. Some said that they would leave China if their factory ran out of orders, but would be willing to return again when there was more work available.

The Guangzhou Daily said the number of such cases had increased sharply over the past year, doubling in Dongguan, and rising fourfold in nearby Zhongshan, where police detained almost a thousand illegal workers in 2014. It said police were redoubling their efforts to catch illegal immigrants and those working without the correct permits.

However, the paper added that, in the face of rising labor costs, and a shortage of labor, which had increased since China’s New Year holiday in February, some companies were “brazenly” defying the law. It said that there was a “network of advantage” involving snakeheads, transport companies and intermediaries acting as employment agents.

Experts said the phenomenon was the result of increasing labor shortages in Guangdong province. The Guangzhou Daily quoted the manager of one food factory who said companies did not want to employ the illegal migrants, but were finding it impossible to recruit or retain enough staff locally. Even at wages of 4,000 yuan a month, or double what some of the illegal workers received, he said many young Chinese workers did not want to work there, in part due to the noisy and poor environment. He said half the factory’s 400 strong workforce had left in recent months, and he complained that "today’s young people don’t want to work," especially in difficult jobs. Some factories, he said, were again employing older workers in their sixties, who had been among China’s first generation of migrant workers three decades ago.

The report is the latest evidence of what labor experts say are the growing challenges for employers, especially in low value-added industries in China. While Chinese rural migrants were once willing to work for very low wages – and indeed were often trafficked out of China into other countries to work – experts say that a new generation of young, better educated migrant workers from China’s countryside is increasingly demanding both higher wages and better working conditions.

Labor strikes have also been on the increase in Guangdong and other parts of China, and some foreign companies have already relocated to Southeast Asia to tap into the cheaper workforce in countries like Cambodia and Vietnam.

However, the fines imposed by local police in Guangdong may not be enough to end the trafficking of workers in the other direction. The Guangzhou Daily said that local police could fine factory owners 10,000 yuan (around $1,600) per worker, up to a maximum of 100,000 yuan. The owners would also have to pay for the cost of repatriating the workers – but these amounts may be unlikely to deter some business owners in a region which is one of China’s richest.

 

[Kolaps]

I feel like the coming collapse of China is near....

As we can see the attitude of spoiled young people who don't want work hard anymore.


It's the collapse of the society that lead into the collapse of the economy.

I think young Chinese people should learn from the young Japanese thou.

 

[sweetgrape]

I feel like the coming collapse of China is near....

As we can see the attitude of spoiled young people who don't want work hard anymore.


It's the collapse of the society that lead into the collapse of the economy.

I think young Chinese people should learn from the young Japanese thou.

Hehe, again!

When I read the Taiwanese news, I always smile, too many weird thing, too many frogs in the well.

 

[AndrewJin]

Hehe, again!

When I read the Taiwanese news, I always smile, too many weird thing, too many frogs in the well.

That's why I watch their 新聞追追追 for fun.
Their real talents get scared away by their own people and media, going to mainland, HK and Singapore.

 

[Kolaps]

Hehe, again!

When I read the Taiwanese news, I always smile, too many weird thing, too many frogs in the well.

What weird things and frog in the well kind of news?

Can you explain it more and give me some examples?

In my opinion, you just don't understand the deep meaning of the news.

That's why I watch their 新聞追追追 for fun.
Their real talents get scared away by their own people and media, going to mainland, HK and Singapore.

Yes, it's true that Taiwan media is more fun to watch than the boring state owned TV station in mainland.

Yes, Taiwanese young people are working hard. We even went to mainland, HK, Singapore and US for work. Despite Taiwan have high salary standard, not to include the bonus too, we still willingly to work aboard for even higher salary.

 

[AndrewJin]

What weird things and frog in the well kind of news?

Can you explain it more and give me some examples?

In my opinion, you just don't understand the deep meaning of the news.



Yes, it's true that Taiwan media is more fun to watch than the boring state owned TV station in mainland.

Yes, Taiwanese young people are working hard. We even went to mainland, HK, Singapore and US for work. Despite Taiwan have high salary standard, not to include the bonus too, we still willingly to work aboard for even higher salary.

I watched your media for "fun" since I feel 哈哈哈 watching your 周玉蔻＆胡忠信之流 show their "insights". For the rest of you comments,呵呵呵

 

[TaiShang]

No mass scale low-quality immigration to China. That's impossible. They can come only in the capacity of an illegal immigrant and live devoid of any social benefits.

China is in the process of upgrading its economic structure by moving from low to high-end production. In a decade or so, these illegals will find it easier to stay at home and work in low-end factories outsourced from China.

Others who preach China on immigration are welcome to take on as many as they want.

I watched your media for "fun" since I feel 哈哈哈 watching your 周玉蔻＆胡忠信之流 show their "insights". For the rest of you comments,呵呵呵

He sounds like he is brain-damaged.

 

[sweetgrape]

What weird things and frog in the well kind of news?

Can you explain it more and give me some examples?

In my opinion, you just don't understand the deep meaning of the news.

For you, maybe it is not, just a normal thing, you say I don't understand the deep meaning of the news, hehe, don't know why, this is also very fun for me, make me think of the superiority complex on Mainlander, I know many taiwanese have these, I also can feel it.

more than 15 years ago, GDP of Taiwan was one third of Mailand's GDP, now less than one twentieth, and not only normal Taiwanese, ,the so-called leader also are conceited, and the leader is incompetent.

 

[sicsheep]

What weird things and frog in the well kind of news?

Can you explain it more and give me some examples?

In my opinion, you just don't understand the deep meaning of the news.



Yes, it's true that Taiwan media is more fun to watch than the boring state owned TV station in mainland.

Yes, Taiwanese young people are working hard. We even went to mainland, HK, Singapore and US for work. Despite Taiwan have high salary standard, not to include the bonus too, we still willingly to work aboard for even higher salary.

Taiwanese living cost /housing cost is high, salary standard compared to Singapore, Hong Kong, even major city in mainland is not that high. that is why so many Taiwanese young people leave Taiwan.

 

[AndrewJin]

Hehe, again!

When I read the Taiwanese news, I always smile, too many weird thing, too many frogs in the well.

They can broadcast a fireman saving a cat for an entire day, not news on Crimea and Yemen.

 

[Viet]

Chinese police apprehended more than 5,000 illegal foreign workers in southern Guangdong Province last year, according to Chinese media, in what experts say is an indication of a growing labor shortage in the region.

The Guangzhou Daily newspaper said most of those detained were young people in their 20s and 30s from neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. It did not specify which countries they came from, but details in the story suggested that some had come across the border from Vietnam. Most had been working in factories in the province, which is home to much of China’s manufacturing industry.

The paper said some of the workers had been smuggled into southern China by people traffickers known as "snakeheads." It gave the example of a shoe factory in the city of Dongguan, where police found 53 illegal workers who had been smuggled into China. The workers, the majority of them young women, reportedly often had to work more than 10 hours a day, for between $1.30 and $1.60 an hour -- below the local minimum wage.

They had no insurance and spent most of their time in the factory for fear of being detained. Two people traffickers based at the factory took a cut of around 20 percent of their wages, and were also responsible for transferring much of the remainder to the workers’ families back home.

Nevertheless, the newspaper quoted some of the foreign workers as saying that they could earn between five and seven times as much in China as they would in their home country. Some said that they would leave China if their factory ran out of orders, but would be willing to return again when there was more work available.

The Guangzhou Daily said the number of such cases had increased sharply over the past year, doubling in Dongguan, and rising fourfold in nearby Zhongshan, where police detained almost a thousand illegal workers in 2014. It said police were redoubling their efforts to catch illegal immigrants and those working without the correct permits.

However, the paper added that, in the face of rising labor costs, and a shortage of labor, which had increased since China’s New Year holiday in February, some companies were “brazenly” defying the law. It said that there was a “network of advantage” involving snakeheads, transport companies and intermediaries acting as employment agents.

Experts said the phenomenon was the result of increasing labor shortages in Guangdong province. The Guangzhou Daily quoted the manager of one food factory who said companies did not want to employ the illegal migrants, but were finding it impossible to recruit or retain enough staff locally. Even at wages of 4,000 yuan a month, or double what some of the illegal workers received, he said many young Chinese workers did not want to work there, in part due to the noisy and poor environment. He said half the factory’s 400 strong workforce had left in recent months, and he complained that "today’s young people don’t want to work," especially in difficult jobs. Some factories, he said, were again employing older workers in their sixties, who had been among China’s first generation of migrant workers three decades ago.

The report is the latest evidence of what labor experts say are the growing challenges for employers, especially in low value-added industries in China. While Chinese rural migrants were once willing to work for very low wages – and indeed were often trafficked out of China into other countries to work – experts say that a new generation of young, better educated migrant workers from China’s countryside is increasingly demanding both higher wages and better working conditions.

Labor strikes have also been on the increase in Guangdong and other parts of China, and some foreign companies have already relocated to Southeast Asia to tap into the cheaper workforce in countries like Cambodia and Vietnam.

However, the fines imposed by local police in Guangdong may not be enough to end the trafficking of workers in the other direction. The Guangzhou Daily said that local police could fine factory owners 10,000 yuan (around $1,600) per worker, up to a maximum of 100,000 yuan. The owners would also have to pay for the cost of repatriating the workers – but these amounts may be unlikely to deter some business owners in a region which is one of China’s richest.

china has 1,4b people.
5,000 / 1,400,000,000 = 0.00000357142 or 0.0004%
even if 5,000 aliens are all vietnamese, the figure is still almost 0.

 

[sicsheep]

china has 1,4b people.
5,000 / 1,400,000,000 = 0.00000357142 or 0.0004%
even if 5,000 aliens are all vietnamese, the figure is still almost 0.

errr, the 5000 is for southern Guangdong only man...