Civil unrest in China: Migrant workers protest in Zhejiang, Sichuan
Oct 07, 2021
Beijing [China], October 7 : Thousands of migrant workers gathered in front of the Haining municipal government building protesting over the death of a fellow-labourer.
As per reliable sources, a Chinese Twitter account has posted videos of protests in Haining city of Zhejiang province and Fushun County of Sichuan province by migrant workers.
The protest erupted to seek justice for the death of a migrant worker named Wang Qi.
As per the source, the factory in Haining owed Wang Qi 18000 yuan so when he went to ask for his wages, he was mistreated and was set on fire. He suffered 95 per cent burn injuries and died on October 6.
Meanwhile, the Chinese social media platform, WeChat screenshot shared by the same Twitter account suggested that migrant workers of Fushun County donated money for his treatment.
The protesters that gathered in front of the Haining municipal government building demanded a reasonable explanation from the authorities during which a large number of police officers were deployed in the area, added the source.
Migrant workers can only take up temporary jobs in cities because their legal residence ('hukou') is still in their hometown rural areas, rather than in the cities where they live and work.
China introduced to infamous "hukou" system to control migration. It is used to limit where a person is allowed to live. A person needs a permit to shift from a rural "hukou" to an urban "hukou".
It is extremely difficult, even impossible, to get that permit. Initially, people used to migrate illegally and face exemplary punishment if discovered by the authorities. Still, the migration continued because people only faced unemployment at home, reported IFFRAS.
In China, the "hukou" system is closely linked with an individual's access to accommodation, education, social welfare, and health care. Without a "hukou", migrant workers cannot be fully covered by health insurance in cities where they temporarily work.
