Working women as second class workers in china (Essay Sample)

Women Workers in China Name Course Institution Date According to research conducted in 1949 by the All China Women’ Federation (ACWF), the number of women employees were 600,000 accounting for 7.5 percent of the Chinese total labor force. In 1978, the number of female employees had increased to 31.28 million, an estimated 32.9 percent of the Chinese total workforce. ACWF established that the number of Chinese working women is now 330 million, accounting for only 46.7 percent of the Chinese total working population. Regardless of a steady increase in the population of recognized women employees, women are employed largely in the lower status or primary enterprises like manufacturing. Women workers account for a very small percentage of professional employees or managerial staffs (Yang & Li, 2009). Even with the significant advances after the end of the Second World War, a bigger number of female workers are considered as expendable workers, likely to quit after a few years in service. Additionally, women workers are perceived to be expensive and uncomplimentary people for workplace promotion or training, maintaining their position as second-class workers (United Nations Development Program, 1999). Layoffs and Impact of Economic Reforms Currently, there has been a major advance for Chinese women, both in terms of their position in society and their economic status. However, as much there are advances there are numerous challenges for women workers. There are two very different and crucial effects of the fast economic growth of Chinas economy in relation to Chinese women workers. With the current free business environments, there are many opportunities for many women which also present various challenges. Most rural women especially from the eastern coastal and south regions have opportunities to get employment in a private sector around China. This implies that a good number of women from poor rural communities have migrated to cities in search of job opportunities (Roberts, 2012). However, most of these women are employed in the private sector without contracts making them exposed to labor violations. Poor working conditions and violation of labor rights such as freedom of association implies that most women work under poor working conditions. Currently, the working conditions for some women have deteriorated severely, irrespective of general increases in living standards. Secondly a major impact has been the effect of the improvements state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which resulted in the restructuring of big SOEs into smaller private companies or bankruptcy. Such move has seen many women working for those old SOEs being fired or retrenched. In 1997, the Ministry of Labor reported women made up of 39 percent of China's workforce whereas they accounted nearly 61 percent all the laid-off workers. Most of SOEs normally fire the female workforce before they lay off male workers. The past notion has been that working at SOEs usually gives employees access to a lot of benefits, means that fired women often lose. Women always tend to miss additional benefits such child care, medical care, funeral cost and pension benefits (Moon, 2003). In a research and interview conducted by the New York Times, a female laid off employee present at an unemployment Center in Tianjin stated most women in their factory laid and they didn't have any alternative jobs. Additionally, the widely practiced traditional belief in women being more expensive employees and temporary has encouraged female layoffs and unemployment. The Guidelines on the Arrangement of Redundant Staff in State Owned Enterprises advocates that companies give employees’ resignation or termination contracts while streamlining. Women are given maternity leave for a specified period during. In most cases, the businesses ask or persuade female employees to resign in the event of pregnancy. Apparently, organizations have established formal “return home” procedures to encourage nursing mothers or pregnant women to leave work in return for a percentage of their salary. This has become a common way of getting rid of female workers who have attained a certain age or those entitled to certain benefits because of childbearing (Lee, Hong Yong, 2000). Furthermore, the “Temporary Regulations on the Employment and Examination of Chinas Workers” clearly state “jobs best suited for women should be offered to young women. This further discriminate older woman in job markets both in public and private sectors. Some provinces have established the problem of unfair dismissal and have formed in their local legislation rules requiring organizations not to discriminate women during restructuring. Most enterprises have been advised to provide support for female employees who are no longer qualified for new job positions with the organization. Most SOEs, however, support the unfairly lay-off women workers, despite these requirements (Attané, 2012). Long Term Unemployment According Yang & Li (2009) official report indicates that some 75 percent of sucked women were still not employed after a year, compared with males who accounted for 50 percent of males still not employed after a year. The main reason for the lack of re-employment prospects for the millions of sacked women is sexual discrimination in employment. The failure of older women or females SOEs to gain re-employment emanates from the circumstance that many of those sacked tend to come from an age where most raise children and are also largely major home workers. Most females from this category have the burden of caring for the elderly and childrearing. Older females’ employees are considered to be more expensive to sustain because of the regulation outlining several benefits and compulsory leave periods for women. Almost all private organizations prefer hiring young female workers, particularly those younger slightly above 18, because they have minimal chances to get pregnant than older women. After 1979, factories and enterprises started to rid themselves of the material benefits and bonuses that were global in the pre-reform period and instead introduced a market-based structure of more money for more work. Such action reduced costs and created more working hours. This situation favors male workers who are mostly free to work more overtime. Since a larger percentage of women look after homes and take the responsibility for childcare. There are many restrictions in Chinese law on the kind of work not recommended for women, are much more marketable as employees than women. Furthermore, in the economically marginalized regions such as provinces with a big concentration of dwindling SOEs and heavy industry, there are few job opportunities at the disposal unless job seekers migrate to other cities or provinces. For many sacked older men, there are prospects for work job migration, on the other hand, women, however, are obligatory to stay at home and attend to the family. An additional problem that developed in 1980s is the development of a shift away from the innovative equality of the sexes embraced after 1949 and a move towards more traditional understand of women as the weaker sex. Gradually in regions of high unemployment rates, it is seen as desirable that women should permit their men to get what the remaining occupation. The Huakun Female Survey Centre conducted a survey and established that more than 80 percent of those interviewed had a view that middle-aged women have the biggest problems and are under intense pressures than middle-aged men. This is because of the ever continuing demand that women should not only work, but also take care of their families. In short, sacked women workers will always remain a second-class worker who is too old to be re-trained.  Women  0.25 0.20   0.15 0.10   0.05 0.00 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Age >=16 & <30 Age >=30 & <40 Age >=40 & <50 Age >=50 & <55 Age >=55 & <60 Long Term Rates Among Unemployment In women Lower Paid Jobs Because of the unequal prospects for education and the male dominated world. Most female employees are forced to take up low status and lower paid jobs. In an experiment of new graduates, it was discovered in Guangzhou that a good number of applicants established that graduate entry level jobs had specifications for “only males”. This differences clearly with the employment advertising for the unskilled and low paid jobs in Guangzhou’s factories preferred young expendable women. As is it in the case of other countries, there are many factors that make sure that women are less educated and have lower social status than men. It implies that women are regarded as temporary players in the workplace. Such situation has been enabled by other players who ensure that female workers continue to be poorly trained to suit the few marketable skills (Attané, 2012). Such scenarios in China keeps the majority of women workers with low wages slim chances of promotion or job longevity and poor job security. Under this type of systems, the authorities have encouraged more players to perpetuate the cycle of discrimination. Most women will strive to look for other jobs change in order to secure better-paying jobs with the promotion. The ACWF contacted research which showed that more than 95 percent of new job opportunities are offered by private enterprises (Brown, 2009). In contrast to the SOEs, these enterprises usually do not deliver the full job employment benefits for women that they are compulsory under the Chinese law. The small understanding of compliance with Chinese labor laws in regards to wages, benefits, pensions and working hours are usually the very reason of their growth. I...