Some people support, some people do not understand, some people transform…
Many places have issued orders to clear the construction industry. Where is the road for overage migrant workers?
Relevant departments said that they will follow up in time to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of overage workers are effectively maintained
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Overaged migrant workers are gradually saying goodbye to construction sites. Up to now, many regions across the country have issued documents to further standardize the management of employment age in construction enterprises.
Some migrant workers who have worked on the construction site all their lives are puzzled: “I can still do it, why don’t you let me continue?” Some migrant workers expressed their support: “When you get older, your reaction is slow, and once an accident happens, it will be fatal to the family. Strike.” Faced with the continuous implementation of management measures, some over-aged migrant workers who still need to work began to embark on the road of transformation. This also brings new issues to the relevant management departments.
March 17, Puxi, Shanghai. Heading east along Hankou Road, several old buildings are undergoing extensive refurbishment, with baffles surrounding towering cranes and construction equipment. Migrant workers wearing helmets and vests pass by outside the construction site from time to time. A reporter from Workers Daily found that it is hard to find migrant workers over the age of 60 at the construction site, and there are very few migrant workers over the age of 55.
The 59-year-old Lao Wang has bid farewell to the construction site where he has worked for many years. This year, he went to Shanghai with his fellow villagers to work on renovations. He mixes concrete, builds walls, and affixes tiles at the owner’s house. He can earn more than 200 yuan a day as a mason, which makes him feel very comfortable. Satisfaction: “Compared to the wind and rain on the construction site, the sun is exposed to the sun, and the decoration is much easier.” Lao Wang said, “Now the construction site is strictly recruited, and the fellow said that he will take us to transform, and it looks good now.”
Pharaoh’s impression of the construction site may only remain in the past, and the over-aged migrant workers are gradually saying goodbye to the construction site. Up to now, many regions across the country have issued documents to further standardize the age management of construction enterprises. Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangdong, Taizhou, Jiangsu, Nanchang, Jiangxi, Jingzhou, Hubei and other places have all made this requirement.
Some migrant workers who have worked on the construction site all their lives are puzzled: “I can still work, why don’t you let me continue?”
Many places have introduced policies to retire overaged migrant workers
The change in employment in Shanghai’s construction field originated in 2019. The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau and the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions jointly issued a document stating that three categories of personnel under the age of 18, men over 60 and women over 50 are prohibited from entering the construction site. Engaged in construction operations, and further stipulates that male workers over the age of 55 and female workers over the age of 45 are prohibited from entering the construction site to engage in underground, high-altitude, high temperature, particularly heavy physical labor or other special work that affects physical health and is dangerous and high-risk. In May 2021, the Shanghai General Station of Construction Engineering Safety and Quality Supervision issued this work reminder once more.
The reporter combed and found that not only in Shanghai, but also in many places across the country have successively issued similar policies to regulate the employment of over-aged migrant workers in the construction industry. Compared with Shanghai, local regulations have made more detailed regulations for various situations.
Tianjin stipulates that if it is really necessary to arrange or use over-age construction workers due to special circumstances, the construction unit shall verify the health certificate of the over-age workers (valid for one year), and reasonably arrange jobs according to the specific conditions of the project. Huanggang, Hubei further subdivided the staff who entered the construction site into three categories. On the basis of local regulations, it added “Prohibition of registered construction engineers and registered supervision engineers over 65 years old to enter the project site to engage in construction management” and “Project management”. Major technical positions such as vice president and chief technical engineer refer to registered managers, and in principle, it is not recommended to participate in the technical management of construction sites following the age of over 65.”
After the document is formulated, all localities will strictly implement it to ensure compliance with employment. It is understood that Shanghai currently relies on two paths to strictly control the employment of construction sites: one is the real-name system, and all workers on the site must enter the real-name system to prevent violations from the source of entry; In the special rectification throughout the year, 6 cases of over-age employment were found, and all of them were corrected immediately.
Security considerations become the main reason for the introduction of the policy
The rights and interests of migrant workers affect the hearts of the whole society. During the just-concluded National People’s Congress, a representative put forward “hope to solve the problem of work-related injury insurance for overage workers”.
The construction site is an area with high incidence of safety accidents for overage migrant workers. The reporter searched and found that in June 2021 alone, accidents occurred in Jingzhou, Hubei and Taizhou, Jiangsu, and the casualties of migrant workers were all over 60 years old. Among them, the Taizhou Municipal Housing and Urban-rural Development Bureau issued a report on high-fall accidents that pointed out that there were many high-fall accidents at construction sites in the city, and the deceased in two accidents were over 60 years old.
Similar problems appeared earlier in Shanghai. In 2018, there were two major accidents in Shanghai’s construction industry, resulting in the deaths of six people, three of whom were over 60 years old.
Cui Yong, head of the Safety Section of Shanghai Construction Engineering Safety and Quality Supervision Station, introduced that 15% of the people who died from safety production accidents in the construction industry in 2018 were over 60 years old, while among the construction workers at that time, more than 60% Only 1% are aged. In this context, considering the high-risk characteristics of construction at high altitudes, open-air operations, manual and heavy work, etc., the physical strength and awareness problems brought regarding by overage are related to risk factors, coupled with poor living conditions on the construction site, heavy physical strength The required high-salt and high-oil diets are very detrimental to the health of the elderly. Therefore, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau and the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions researched and issued relevant documents in 2019.
Cui Yong also emphasized that the statement that “overaged migrant workers cannot enter the construction site” in some news is exaggerated. The document clearly stipulates that overaged employees cannot engage in construction operations, while other auxiliary positions on the construction site, such as cleaning, security, warehouse management, etc. If it is not affected, it is also hoped that the construction party will provide more comprehensive arrangements for over-aged migrant workers.
During the interview, some migrant workers expressed their understanding of the relevant regulations. Master Shen, who is a “big worker” at the Qingpu construction site, is 58 years old. He understands the concern revealed in the policy. The family is the fatal blow.” But he also has his own worries, “After working on the construction site all his life, he is not used to doing anything else, and his income will definitely be affected.”
Strictly implement and reflect the warmth of the city
On the southern extension of the Huangpu River, the construction of the underground part of a planned 11-story building has been completed. After the roof is installed, the crane is hoisting the prefabricated steel structures into place one by one. Shanghai Construction Engineering Group, which is responsible for the project, issued an internal corporate document in 2019, stipulating that the age of front-line personnel entering the construction site should be controlled under the age of 55. According to Chen Zhijun, Secretary of the Party Branch of the Project Department, employees who enter the venue every day need to scan their faces at the access control to confirm their identities, and wear an armband on their left hand, indicating the unit, name, age and type of work to ensure standardized employment.
What if someone wants to fish in troubled waters? Chen Zhijun said that for temporary employment needs, subcontracting companies need to report in advance in the WeChat management group, and workers can only enter the construction area following checking personnel information and safety disclosure in advance. Verify once more by making armbands.
On many construction sites in Shanghai, strict management measures like this are being put in place, but the demand for over-age migrant workers still exists, and transformation has become an active or passive choice for many people.
Mr. Shen used to work at the construction site. In recent years, he and his fellow villagers who are close to his age have gone out to work together, and it has become more and more difficult to find work on the construction site. At present, they are building small villas for farmers on the outskirts of the city, which is much less risky than climbing up and down before. Some migrant workers “test the water” in new industries such as decoration and housekeeping, and gradually adapt to the changes.
“Many migrant workers still want to do more for their families. We understand this situation very well.” The relevant person in charge of the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions said that the strict implementation of the regulations is out of safety considerations, and Shanghai is also trying to reflect the warmth of the city. On the one hand, “For over-age migrant workers who are still willing to work, Shanghai has actively coordinated with all parties to provide relatively easy jobs such as security, cleaning and property management. Legitimate rights and interests are effectively safeguarded.”
The person in charge specially reminded that workers should pay attention to signing contracts in their daily work and keep various work certificates for future rights protection needs. For migrant workers whose rights and interests have been violated, they can call the trade union rights protection hotline, or consult and complain through the service sites of the trade unions at all levels or WeChat public accounts.
(Editor in charge: Zhang Ziyi)
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