China's rural workers no longer flock to economically booming cities, waiting in lines blindly before factories just for a weary job with poor payment. They have sensed the necessity to bargain with bosses for higher salaries.

"Vote by feet" is a vivid metaphor used by Chinese media to describe that migrant workers now have their say on the incomes by choosing to "walk" into factories they could gain more benefits.

Human resources experts even attributed the severe shortage of laborers in some parts of China in recent two years to the "feet votes" of the migrant workers.

Mo Rong, deputy director of the labor science research institute under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, said recently at the China Labor Forum that the shortage of rural laborers, which began to surface in 2003, has become a more serious issue in the Pearl River Delta and the coastal areas in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

With its 19 million rural laborers mostly working in the Pearl River Delta, south China's Guangdong Province faces a shortage of nearly two million workers. This accounts for about 10 percent of local market demand.

In Fujian, the shortage by the end of 2004 was as much as 200,000, according to a survey released by China's central bank this May.

Skillful workers with some expertise as well as manual laborers, especially young women in low-end processing factories, are the most wanted, the survey showed.

Rapid economic growth generated a larger demand for workers. Poor working conditions in cities and the lack of guarantee for rural laborers' benefits deteriorated the shortage.

Mo pointed out that most companies that reported laborer shortage are usually involved in labor-intensive industries with a monthly salary below 700 yuan (US$85).

Under the pressure of demanding overseas customers, these companies, usually small or medium-sized businesses engaged in toy manufacturing, electronic assembly, attire making and plastic processing, have to lower labor costs to retain their thin profits, Mo analyzed.

"Thus, many migrant workers have flowed from the Peal River Delta to the Yangtze River Delta, where the demand for workers keeps climbing and local companies can offer better payment and work conditions," Mo said.

"With an increasing awareness of their due rights and interests, more and more rural workers have waken up to ask for better protection of their benefits from hard work," he said.

Shanghai, economic hub of the Yangtze River Delta, has seen its migrant workers up by 900,000 people in the past three years, which has ensured the city away from the shortage of laborers in its rapid economic growth.

New enterprises mushrooming in China's middle and western areas also provide more work opportunities for rural laborers.

"I know that a Shenzhen-based underwear factory has just set up a new manufacturing branch in the landlocked Jiangxi Province. Despite a lower payment level than those offered by companies in Guangdong, many migrant laborers have shown no hesitation to work in the new plant as it is much closer to their homes," Mo said.

It also reflects an immediate result of the shortage. Some labor-intensive companies have started to move from the eastern coast to middle and western regions of China, where they can pay workers less, he said.

"Voting by foot" have won rural laborers opportunities to raise salaries and improve work conditions. Some enterprises have loosened employment restrictions on the age, height and gender. Some are considering to raise bonus and improve working and living environment for their workers.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2005)