时间：2022-05-30 11:01:52
Social workers are relatively new in China， and Lu Tu is one of them. Lu began teaching at her university after graduating 20 years ago. In 1997， she left for the Netherlands seeking a Ph.D in sociology and since then， she has been engaged in researching poverty-relief projects in China. From May 2010 through June 2011， she and her colleagues investigated the lives of migrant workers in several metropolises， including Suzhou， Shenzhen， Chongqing， Beijing， and Wuhan.
Such workers commonly known as “rural migrant workers”were renamed “new workers” by Lu.
A February 2012 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics of China showed that in 2011， the count of rural migrant workers reached 252.78 million， giving Lu a massive group to study. The number continues climbing as migrants continue seeking prosperity in cities， resulting in a huge urbanization movement， while their labor fuels China’s emergence as the leading manufacturer in the world.
In-Depth Experience
Lu Tu’s office is located in Picun， a suburban village between Beijing’s eastern 5th and 6th Ring Roads. Of the villagers， only 1，000 are local， and 10，000 other residents hail from elsewhere. Picun mirrors countless villages in China that have mushroomed after waves of immigration.
July 2011 statistics published by the local community show that of the village’s 120 factories， the smallest employs only four， while the largest over 200. Together， the factories employ a total of 2，000. However， inhabitants also include those who work nearby or even downtown. The village has opened two schools that now educate some 1，000 children.
The institution currently employing Lu Tu， Beijing Worker’s Home， is stationed in the village. During her spare time， Tu teaches at the village schools along with other volunteer teachers， such as Matthijs de Bruijne， an artist from the Netherlands. In a run-down classroom， Matthijs shared a picture of an 18-year-old boy from
Africa who studied in his country while Lu translated for him. The class fell quiet when he asked if the boy should be sent home – the same predicament many of the students face. The silence was quickly shattered by fierce discussions. “Where can we continue to study？” is a common question on the minds of many students when primary school graduation approaches.
According to an investigation of the current situation and future development of residency for migrant workers by Beijing Worker’s Home， in 2009， the average living area of the migrant workers in Picun was 4.6 square meters per person. Limited housing space and financial problems are the primary reasons such workers usually leave their children back home. Students at school today might drop out and be sent back next term.
To understand the core of the problem， Lu Tu decided to try experiencing their lives first-hand. In 2003， she had focused her research on the Beijing Worker’s Home， which proved unrealistic. “I changed my methodology when I realized I was seeing only what I expected，” she explains. “I realized I won’t achieve anything substantial unless I spend some serious time in my subjects’ shoes.”
She soon moved her office to Picun and began her investigation by applying for work in local factories as a migrant.
True Stories
Lu Tu’s endeavors over the years provided enough experience for an entire book： New Workers – Where Are Their Homes？ The book was published in January 2013 and re-titled New Workers in China： Lost and Rise. It illustrates the living conditions of migrant workers， the hometowns they will never see again， and the bewilderment they and their children face， displaced in a sort of limbo between rural and urban areas.
“I felt a knot in my stomach when I first read it，” remarks 27-year-old Yang Meng， a native of Yibin， Sichuan Province. “I don’t know if the author’s intent was to help us understand the problems we face. The thing is， we don’t see any possible solutions. When I was young， my parents worked in a city while I stayed back home with my aunt and grandparents.”
In 2007， Yang was hired in a township near his hometown. “I earned less than 400 yuan a month，” he recalls. “The next year， I left to work in cities such as Shenzhen， Suzhou， Xi’an， and Beijing， far from home.”
In 2009， Yang received training at the Beijing Worker’s Home and started working there， managing its website and training others. Lu Tu considers Yang an exemplary case for others to follow.“Now， he teaches law at the training center，” Lu raves. “Much of what he teaches is related to protecting the rights and interests of workers， accumulated through his own experience.”
Yang Meng has a strong self-identity. “We are no longer farmers because we cannot make a decent living by farming，” he declares. “We toil away in cities to pay the family bills. Our efforts have contributed greatly to the development of cities as well as our hometowns. For generations， our forefathers never complained about the working conditions， but times have changed. Now， we have the sense to protect our rights.”
Switching jobs has become a new method for workers to improve living and working conditions and accelerate personal development. An investigation by the All China Federation of Trade Union in 2010 revealed that the average annual turnover rate for migrant workers is 0.26， meaning they change jobs about every three or four years. In the past， the rate hovered at about 0.09 – a job change every 11 years， on average.
The investigation helped Lu Tu pinpoint reasons workers change jobs so frequently： working conditions， job nature， and morality – they choose to leave when the fruits of their labors are less satisfying. Nevertheless， they hardly feel a sense of belonging wherever they go. “Even after working in a city for more than ten years， we can’t settle our kids into a home or school，” sighed one worker. “The city never becomes our home. What will we do when we get old？”
A glimmer of hope remains. “In 20 years， the next generation will be able to make a living in the city，” asserts Yang Meng.“There is always a way. We can redefine our work and life and make our dreams come true.”
Lu Tu looks towards the same sort of hope. The last three decades have witnessed the birth and exponential growth of this new group. Now， 250 million are seeking better social positions in the coming decades. “I hope that more people will see these people for who they are， and that society will better accept them，” Lu adds.“They should not be treated as machines. They should learn to protect their rights. When they can find the next rung on the social ladder， all of society progresses.”