Exploring the Plight of Dispatch Workers in China and How to Improve the Situation – a Preliminary Study

 China Labor Support Network (CLSN)         2014.4

The establishment of the Beijing Foreign Enterprises Human Resources Co., Ltd. (FESCO) in November 1979, led to the beginning of the provision of dispatch labour to foreign companies based in Beijing. The early dispatch labour system was primarily used to meet the staffing needs of foreign companies based in China and for Chinese staff posted to other countries. Since the 1990s, the dispatch labour system has also been used in domestic enterprises, and its use has been growing rapidly. However the absence of laws on dispatch labour meant that for a long time those involved could not refer to the laws when they needed to. Although the dispatch labour method of employment has gradually become more popular, dispatch workers, are in many respects, still in a very disadvantaged position.

As China’s economy has gradually been developing into a market economy, dispatch labour, as an alternative form of employment, has been favoured by employers for its convenience. It is generally considered that employing dispatch labour involves low labour costs, flexible labour and is low risk. This means that the dispatch labour system is widely used in many industries and especially in labour intensive industries.

CLSN has done a preliminary study on both regular and dispatch labour and, basing on this study, this report looks at how both categories of labour see themselves and how the current laws affect dispatch labour’s working conditions and their welfare.

The Chinese full report is released while the English version will be released later.

 

 

 

 

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