Labor Non-Governmental Organizations in China: An Increasingly Difficult Environment

Abstract

Starting from 1978 with the reforms and opening up of China, millions of rural workers migrated to highly industrialized areas in the hope to find a job to sustain their families. However, employers take advantage of their situation, making them overwork and giving low salaries. Labor Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were created to help those workers become aware of their rights and improve their working conditions. The present thesis illustrates the legal framework in which NGOs operate in China, in particular, the most important Articles of the “Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations” and other relevant Regulations and Laws are illustrated. Moreover, this work offers an overview of the labor conditions of migrant workers, with a summary of the most relevant Articles of the “Labor Law” and the “Labor Contract Law”, in order to better understand the background that led to the birth and development of labor NGOs. Nowadays, these organizations are facing numerous hardships because of the increasing control of the Chinese government and surviving has become more and more difficult because of the lack of funds. Also, labor NGOs not easily gain trust from donors and workers, due to the highly competitive environment and previous cases of corruption. But, even if the current situation is seemingly full of obstacles, labor NGOs will adapt and will continue helping workers.