中国の農民工の実態がわかる『このように働いて30年』が放送禁止となる

中国見聞

27 Jan 202410:56

Summary

TLDRThe video follows three migrant workers in their 50s and 60s who gather daily at a busy intersection in Hebei province, competing with 1,000 others for short-term manual labor jobs paying less than $60 per day. Despite working for decades in cities, they lost value in China's market economy and now struggle to afford basic needs like health insurance. Many avoid long-term jobs due to rampant wage theft, instead opting for risky day labor where they're paid nightly, but earn less than $6 for a day's work with no guarantees.

Takeaways

😢 The video highlights the difficult lives of China's migrant workers who struggle to find daily labor jobs and get paid
🎥 It was filmed at a busy intersection where migrant workers gather every morning to find work
🕑 The workers arrive around 4am and wait all day, but many still cannot find jobs paying even $55 a day
🧓 Most are first generation migrants, now in their 50s-60s, who moved to cities 30+ years ago
💸 Their most profitable years coincided with China's boom, but they didn't benefit much
🤝 They take risky daily jobs to get paid the same day, avoiding unpaid wages
😠 Unpaid wages are a huge problem as officials don't care about migrant rights
🏢 Protests by unpaid workers are common but suppressed by authorities
😞 Daily pay has dropped below $5 for many, but even that is not guaranteed
🤐 The documentary brought sympathy, then was quickly censored by authorities

Q & A

Why can't these migrant workers find long-term jobs and have to look for short-term work at the dangerous intersection?
-The main reason is that they have lost their market value in China and belong to a discarded group. They are the first generation of migrant workers who came to cities in the 1980s-1990s, and many have worked for over 30 years. But the benefits of rapid urban development in their prime years did not benefit them much.
What are some other reasons the migrant workers prefer short-term jobs?
-In addition to being marginalized, some also worry about not getting paid on longer jobs. Random interviews showed many had experience not getting paid wages owed by companies previously.
How much can these migrant workers earn per day now?
-According to the documentary and media reports, migrant workers doing basic jobs now earn about 375 yuan ($55) or less per day on average.
Is it easy for them to find work every day?
-No, there is no guarantee of finding daily work even at extremely low wages. In the video, the 49-year old carpenter says he will do any job if work is available.
What happened when the carpenter thought he found a job?
-He and another worker got in a taxi paid for by the employer to go to the job site, but the employer called to say he found someone else so the carpenter was no longer needed. Unable to pay the taxi fare, the carpenter had to apologize and get out.
What commentary does this video and report provide on labor conditions in China?
-It shows the very difficult life endured by the lowest classes of workers in Chinese society, especially early generation migrant workers now discarded. The video gained much sympathy and discussion online before being deleted by authorities.
Why do you think this video and related discussions were deleted in China?
-The Chinese Communist Party does not want widespread circulation of imagery that makes visible the difficult plight of common workers, especially marginalized ones. It prefers portraying society as harmonious.
What message does the multi-decade experience of these workers send about conditions in China?
-Their long years show that under CCP rule, common people are essentially livestock - they benefit a little in good times when the economy grows, but suffer more in bad times when it contracts.
What recourse do these migrant workers have against problems like wage theft?
-Very little. The government has neither the capacity nor intention to address issues faced by the lowest classes of workers. As the economy declines, problems like wage theft can become more severe.
Why do you think authorities also deleted the First Finance and Economics News article even though it obeyed censorship?
-Apparently any widespread coverage bringing visibility to the problems faced specifically by discarded migrant workers is seen as too controversial now. The CCP prefers directing public attention only toward more optimistic portrayals.

Outlines

00:00

😞 First-generation migrant workers struggle to find work

Paragraph 1 introduces 3 migrant workers, including a 49-year woman, who gather at a busy intersection in Heifei, China everyday at 4am to look for temporary work. Thousands gather daily for these short-term jobs that pay very little, around $6 USD per day, because they belong to a marginalized group that has lost market value and been eliminated from the workforce.

05:02

😤 Wage theft leaves workers vulnerable

Paragraph 2 explains that many migrant workers choose daily temporary jobs to avoid the risk of wage theft, a common problem where employers fail to pay wages owed. With China's slowing economy, this issue is becoming more severe, yet migrant workers have little recourse and the government does little to help.

10:03

🙁 Vast wealth gap despite China's growth

Paragraph 3 reflects that over 30 years of economic growth in China under Communist rule, ordinary people like migrant workers gain little benefit. When the economy flourishes they earn slightly more, and when it declines they earn less, while vast wealth flows to the top.

Mindmap

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Keywords

💡農民労働者

This term refers to migrant workers who come from rural areas to work in cities. The video focuses on the struggles of first generation migrant workers who came to cities in the 1980s-1990s. They are now in their 40s-60s but face declining wages and job insecurity, showing the transient nature of China's economic boom for them.

💡日雇い

Day labor or temporary contractual jobs. The video explains how migrant workers prefer daily jobs now to avoid wage arrears, a common problem as the economy slows down. This reflects their vulnerable status.

💡賃金未払い

Wage arrears or unpaid wages. The video and news reports describe how this issue is increasing as the economy worsens, and migrant workers on daily wages avoid long term jobs to minimize risk of non-payment.

💡低賃金

Low wages. The video cites reports that wages for migrant laborers have now dropped below 375 yuan per day, showing declining prospects.

💡淘汰

Eliminated or made obsolete. The term is used to describe how first generation migrant workers are now seen as obsolete in the labor force due to their age.

💡都市部

Urban areas. Migrant workers in the video are shown congregating at a busy intersection in a city, competing for day labor.

💡労働者

Workers. The video humanizes the migrant workers by using terms like 父さん (father) and profiling their decades of labor and current struggles.

💡警察

Police. The video shows police not protecting workers seeking overdue wages, reflecting official attitudes.

💡削除

Deletion/censorship. The documentary and related news on migrant worker reality were quickly deleted, limiting awareness.

💡共産党

The Communist Party. The video critiques the lack of sustained benefits for workers under Party rule, despite economic success.

Highlights

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