1. Background and main content of policy In 2013, strategy of urbanization was implemented in an all-round way, economic development was smooth, and employment situation was stable. Employment of rural population registered sound development. The state established leading committee to strengthen guidance for employment of migrant workers. The committee is in charge of making major plans, and policies, conducting inspections on the plans and tasks' implementation and coordinating the settlement of problems in implementing the plans. The state has been paying an ever greater effort and adopting various measures in transferring of rural labor force to ease the imbalance between urbanization and the enterprises' need for labor.
Firstly, employment services were improved. A research on enterprises' hiring information and needs for labor forces after festivals was conducted. The rural labor forces were led to pubic jobs and employment service. The enterprises were led to offer long-term jobs and to attract rural labor forces by increasing salaries, improving working conditions, expanding job prospects and safeguarding employees' interests, to promote sound development of enterprises. Internet, print media, and mobile communications were given full play to publish job advertisement, standardized market salaries and career training information. Activities such as "job fairs for rural labor forces only," "face to face" job interviews were held at source regions of rural labor forces to provide job information for rural labor forces in a timely manner. Orientation professional training was held. The state also helped enterprises to implement such supportive policies as social security subsidies. Those who went back to the rural areas got assistance to start their own business.
Secondly, the late payment of rural worker's wage was mitigated. In 2012, the state started a three-year action to solve the late payment of rural worker's wages. The action aimed at the root cause of the problem for rural workers. Since 2013, local authorities provided platforms such as hot-line, internet and on-site service for complaints. Cases of unpaid wages for rural workers were heard and accepted in a timely manner. Cooperation between various departments were strengthened to open investigations on rural worker's wages. The investigations focused on construction sites, processing and manufacturing factories and restaurants. The issue of unpaid wages for rural workers were attached great importance in the construction field.
Thirdly, public service for rural workers were constantly improved. The Ministry of Education launched the Year of Educational Funds Management to promote fair education through improving financial assistance system and helping and loving vulnerable groups. Increased education support was provided to the children of migrant workers. The issue was covered by finances to give them the equal rights of education. The construction of boarding school in rural areas was accelerated to meet the needs of stay-home children for a peaceful environment to study and life security. The China Banking Regulatory Commission issued a notice on improving financial services for rural workers, requiring banks and other financial institutions to improve financial service for migrant workers, to raise compatibility and adaptive of the service and solve the difficulties in applying loans.
Fourthly, steadily advancing citizenization of migrant workers. Settlement policies in small and middle-sized cities were eased to transfer rural workers and their relatives to citizens.
2. Policy implementation In 2013, the number of rural workers reached 268.94 million, increase by 2.4 percent of 6.33 million. Among them, the number of migrant rural workers reached 166.10 million, increase by 1.7 percent of 2.74 million. The number of local rural workers is 102.84 million, increase by 3.6 percent of 3.59 million.
1) Rural workers' wages were on the rise. In 2013, a total of 27 provinces adjusted the minimum wage, up by 17 percent on average. According to statistics, migrant workers earned an average wage of 2,609 yuan per month, up by 13.9 percent of 319 yuan.
2) Rural workers' rights and interests were safeguarded. In the first half of 2013, arbitration institutions settled 705,000 cases of disputes, up by 1.9 percent year-on-year. Supervisory organs of various levels found 188,000 cases of violation of the labor security law, up by 7.8 percent. Companies were asked to sign labor contract with 2.68 million workers, giving a back pay of 14.53 billion yuan to pay insurance of 1.29 billion yuan. 532 cases of unpaid wages were transferred to judicial organs. In the first half of 2013, "two nets" management covered 65.77 percent of the cities-almost the entire cities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hainan.
3) Basic public services were improved constantly. By the end of 2013, compulsory education covered 12.77 million children of migrant workers, with 80.4 percent of them studying in public schools. The governments of Shanghai, Zhejiang and some other places paid for 390,000 children of migrant workers to study in private schools. Finance allocated 83.5 percent of education funds for children of migrant workers. In 2013, students were allowed to take college entrance exams across regions. Authorities of 12 provinces allowed children of migrant workers to take college entrance exams there. Workers' unions of various levels provide free, convenient and quick legal services for rural workers through purchasing legal services and voluntary legal assistance among others. According to statistics, since the "five five" law popularization, workers' unions of various levels invested 1 billion yuan to provide legal consultation and assistance for 230 million people, to raise the awareness of rural workers to protect their economic interests by the law.
4) The level of social security was raised. By the end of 2013, urban health insurance covered 50.18 million rural workers, of which 46.67 million were covered by health insurance for urban workers. City-level medicare was advanced from coordinated by cities to provincial level. 27 provinces allowed cross-city settlement of health insurance. Several provinces explored cross-province settlement. By the end of May, 2014, 72.22 million rural workers were covered by accidental work injury insurance, accounting for 36 percent of the population covered by the insurance. Almost all rural workers were covered with a stable contract.
