Conditions of Work and Employment Series No
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Conditions of Work and Employment Series No. 22 Conditions of Work and Employment Programme Reconciling work and family: Issues and policies in China Liu Bohong Zhang Yongying Li Yani Women’s Studies Institute of China INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE – GENEVA Copyright © International Labour Organization 2009 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to the Publications Bureau (Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. 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ISBN 978-92-2-122112-8 (print version) ISBN 978-92-2-122113-5 (.pdf version) First published 2009 Cover: DTP/Design Unit, ILO The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval. 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Catalogues or lists of new publications are available free of charge from the above address, or by email: [email protected] Visit our website: www.ilo.org/publns Printed by the International Labour Office, Geneva, Switzerland Contents Page Preface..................................................................................................................................... ix Acknowledgements................................................................................................................. xi Executive summary ........................................................................................................................... xiii Research purposes................................................................................................................... xiii Research methods ................................................................................................................... xiii Main findings .......................................................................................................................... xiii Economic-social development and employment development..................................... xiii Population and family development ............................................................................. xiii Working conditions....................................................................................................... xiv Policies and facilities for family care............................................................................ xiv Conclusion .................................................................................................................... xiv Policy recommendations............................................................................................... xv Part 1: Introduction and context ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1: The ranking of HDI in the United Nations is increasing ................................................. 1 1.2: Recent tendency of economic growth.............................................................................. 2 1.2.1: Economic development maintains a steady and continued growth .................... 2 1.2.2: The living standard for both the urban and rural population has increased........ 3 1.2.3: Put more financial inputs into social development............................................. 3 1.3: The changing tendency of the industrial structure ........................................................... 5 1.4: The development of private economy in China ............................................................... 5 1.5: The tendency of employment in different sectors............................................................ 6 1.6: Earnings and income distribution .................................................................................... 9 1.7: Poverty in China .............................................................................................................. 11 1.8: The situation of social security ........................................................................................ 12 1.9: The changing work modes and informal employment..................................................... 14 1.10: Labour force mobility .................................................................................................... 15 1.11: Gender discrimination in employment........................................................................... 16 1.12: Population, marriage status and the ratio of family upbringing..................................... 17 1.13: Educational level an child labour................................................................................... 18 1.13.1: Compulsory education...................................................................................... 19 1.13.2: Senior high school education............................................................................ 19 1.13.3: Higher education............................................................................................... 20 1.13.4: Pre-school education......................................................................................... 20 1.13.5: Child labour ...................................................................................................... 20 Conditions of Work and Employment Series No. 22 iii Part 2: Family trends and work-family conflict ................................................................................ 21 2.1: Trends in the family and family responsibilities.............................................................. 21 2.1.1: Legal and cultural context .................................................................................. 21 (1) Definitions of family responsibility in national laws and policies................ 21 (2) Regulations about family roles ..................................................................... 22 2.1.2: Demographic trends............................................................................................ 23 (1) Population ageing ......................................................................................... 23 (2) Smaller family size and diversified family modes........................................ 24 (3) The trend of rural-urban migration and its effect on families....................... 25 (4) Postponed age of first marriage and first childbirth, fall of birth rate, and emergence of people who do not want to have a child....................................... 27 2.1.3: The tradition related to childcare and care of the elderly and recent trends ....... 29 (1) Childcare....................................................................................................... 29 (2) Care of the elderly......................................................................................... 32 2.1.4: Family work and domestic tasks......................................................................... 36 (1) Roles and tasks of different family members................................................ 36 (2) Access to labour-saving technologies........................................................... 38 (3) Convenience of business opening hours and services .................................. 39 2.1.5: Transportation and time spent commuting ......................................................... 39 2.2: Conclusion on family trends and work-family conflict ................................................... 40 Part 3: Working conditions and work-family conflict....................................................................... 43 3.1: The industrial relations and labour law framework ......................................................... 43 3.1.1: Role of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and trade unions.................. 43 3.1.2: The implementation of relevant laws and collective contracts........................... 44 3.2: Earnings ..........................................................................................................................