Cheap overseas workers used as plant hub feels labor pinch
By Wang Xiang |
March 30, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A LABOR shortage in south China's manufacturing hub of Guangdong Province has forced employers to use cheap foreign workers hired from illegal human-smuggling rings.
These employees, usually southeastern Asians and Africans smuggled into the country or who overstay visas, have become in favor with factory bosses because they work hard and demand lower salaries than Chinese counterparts, according to an insider quoted by Guangzhou Daily yesterday.
A Vietnamese worker in a factory in Foshan, identified by the insider as Cheng, could not answer any questions in Chinese.
"Most illegal workers can't speak or understand any Chinese," the insider said. "They work, eat and sleep every day and that's all."
Cheng was paid a little more than 1,000 yuan (US$146.50) monthly.
There are about 20 Vietnamese working in the Foshan factory, according to the report.
They avoided contact with local workers because they feared deportation and were always on alert, it said.
Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and some African countries are the main sources of these cheap laborers, according to the report.
The hiring of black laborers was also found to be rampant in Guangdong's Shenzhen, Dongguan, Yunfu, and Zhaoqing. Some of them entered the country legally and then overstayed their visas.
Most of the others sneaked into the country or were smuggled in by organized gangs.
These smuggling gangs also offer the laborers a job and fake identity cards to get by police checks.
Most of the Vietnamese laborers entered China from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Guangdong police said the laborers were lured by better jobs and pay.
Lenient penalties for illegal laborers also contributed to the problem, police said.
Illegal laborers often returned after deportation, they said.
Last Friday, a bus with 53 illegal Vietnamese laborers was stopped and its occupants deported after police in Guangxi caught them on the way to Guangdong to work.
In Zhuhai alone, police have deported about 400 illegal laborers working in local factories since 2009.
These employees, usually southeastern Asians and Africans smuggled into the country or who overstay visas, have become in favor with factory bosses because they work hard and demand lower salaries than Chinese counterparts, according to an insider quoted by Guangzhou Daily yesterday.
A Vietnamese worker in a factory in Foshan, identified by the insider as Cheng, could not answer any questions in Chinese.
"Most illegal workers can't speak or understand any Chinese," the insider said. "They work, eat and sleep every day and that's all."
Cheng was paid a little more than 1,000 yuan (US$146.50) monthly.
There are about 20 Vietnamese working in the Foshan factory, according to the report.
They avoided contact with local workers because they feared deportation and were always on alert, it said.
Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and some African countries are the main sources of these cheap laborers, according to the report.
The hiring of black laborers was also found to be rampant in Guangdong's Shenzhen, Dongguan, Yunfu, and Zhaoqing. Some of them entered the country legally and then overstayed their visas.
Most of the others sneaked into the country or were smuggled in by organized gangs.
These smuggling gangs also offer the laborers a job and fake identity cards to get by police checks.
Most of the Vietnamese laborers entered China from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Guangdong police said the laborers were lured by better jobs and pay.
Lenient penalties for illegal laborers also contributed to the problem, police said.
Illegal laborers often returned after deportation, they said.
Last Friday, a bus with 53 illegal Vietnamese laborers was stopped and its occupants deported after police in Guangxi caught them on the way to Guangdong to work.
In Zhuhai alone, police have deported about 400 illegal laborers working in local factories since 2009.
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