Breeding Hope during the Crisis: A Study on Unemployed Laborers' Willingness to Receive Educational Compensation under the Chinese "Zero-COVID” Policy

Under the Chinese "Zero-COVID” policy, many laborers were forced out of work. Participating in educational compensation can effectively help unemployed laborers achieve re-employment. This paper selected Jining, Shandong Province, as the research area, analyzed the data using a questionnaire survey and key interviews, and observed factors that affect and change willingness to receive educational compensation (WTEC) and the willingness to accept the training duration (WTTD) of unemployed laborers. The study found that 77.78% of unemployed laborers are willing to receive educational compensation, and the WTTD is 12.05 days. Among them, eight factors affect WTEC, such as the years of education, the duration of unemployment, whether there are dependents in the family, and the family's size. Nine factors such as gender, age, education, unemployed duration, dependents, and other supportable incomes affect WTTD. Based on this, by taking measures from the government and laborers, WTEC and WTTD can be improved, and then the rate of re-employment can be enhanced, and finally, the employment problem can be ameliorated.

Ethnic, racial and migrant inequalities in respiratory health

Disparities in the incidence, prevalence, and morbidity and mortality rates of many respiratory diseases are evident among ethnic groups. Biological, cultural and environmental factors related to ethnicity can all contribute to the differences in respiratory health observed among ethnic minority groups, but the inequalities observed are most commonly due to lower socioeconomic position. People who migrate within a country or across an international border may experience an improvement in respiratory health associated with improvements in socioeconomic position. However, migrants may also experience worse health outcomes in destination countries, as they are faced by barriers in language and culture, discrimination, exclusion and limited access to health services. While some high-quality studies investigating ethnicity and respiratory health are available, further research into ethnic differences is needed. Improving the recording of ethnicity in health records, addressing barriers to accessing respiratory healthcare and improving cultural literacy more generally are some of the ways that inequalities can be tackled.Copyright © ERS 2023.

Ready for the Post-Pandemic World?

The migrant worker dormitory clusters, although certainly a serious matter, might seem like just a blemish in an otherwise stellar record of successful crisis management by a high-capacity government responsible for developing Singapore from a "Third World” to a "First World” country in a very short period. Made up of very capable technocrats with a pragmatic outlook, this government focused on results, were quick to react to problems as they surfaced, and never took its eye away from the unsentimental task of keeping its globally embedded economy going as a vital part of national survival. Some might argue, further, that the authorities and countless other people in Singapore who volunteered their support did the best they could, in the context of an unprecedented and unpredictable pandemic of this scale and magnitude. However, the dormitory clusters and other lapses are symptoms of deeper structural problems. This is an important perspective that can constructively provide insight into whether these kinds of problems will manifest again and again in occasional eruptions and disruptions, which are painful but manageable. Or whether they will lead to more systemically destructive outcomes over time, which will either ruin Singapore eventually or create the opportunity to rebuild something better. Given Singapore's track record of swift and effective reaction to problems, one can expect economic rejuvenation at some point, accompanied by social and cultural exuberance. But will this mean returning to business-asusual? And will the deep structures shaped by authoritarian politics and market fundamentalism continue to worsen income inequality, poverty, an over-dependency on exploited migrant workers, the neglect of heterotopic spaces of otherness, and a dogmatic refusal by the government to engage more widely and in good faith with a broader range of people and perspectives outside its circle? © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Floating Laborers of India and Their Welfare: A Situation Analysis

Migration is a pronounced trend that has massively contributed to the industrialization process across the world. This vast labor pool that floated from a less-developed place to a more-developed place for better livelihood is our population of interest. This chapter examines the health and well-being of the floating laborer community of India, who are involved in some form of development projects both within the nation. It identifies the role of socioeconomic and political correlates in setting the context of migration in the country. Aspects of health including both physical and mental health with special emphasis on occupational hazards are explored. The general status of older adults, women, and children is studied to further expand on how needs such as housing, schooling, ration, and pediatric, maternity and geriatric healthcare needs are met in their migrated land. Benefits and risk factors of migrants, as well as topics such as inequity, discrimination, resources availability, and unemployment are analyzed. A dedicated session is set that observes the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the overall health and well-being of laborer community and investigates the exploitation they are subjected to from their host companies/agencies. The chapter is exclusively tailored to learn about the overall health and wellbeing of the migrant community, and to identify the key factors involved in determining their well-being. The discussion concludes with a few recommendations that involve the collaborative effort of all stakeholders involved in migration. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Taylor and Francis Pte Ltd. 2022.

Migrant Networks, Food Remittances, and Zimbabweans in Cape Town: A Social Media Perspective

This study examines the evolving connection between migrant networking on social media and cross-border food remittances in Southern Africa. Emerging research and academic debates have shown that social media platforms transform migration networks. But the role and link between migrant remittances and social media are generally overlooked and neglected. This paper contributes to the ongoing debates by examining the role of social media as a valuable networking tool for food-remitting Zimbabwean migrants. The research is founded on a mixed-methods approach, thus utilizing both questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews of Zimbabwean migrants in Cape Town, South Africa. The research findings uncover the role of social media in facilitating a regular flow of food remittances back to urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe. A related result is how social media enabled information pathways associated with cross-border food remitting when the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions limited face-to-face contact. This research can provide valuable insights for academics, researchers, and development practitioners interested in the evolving migration, remittances, and food security nexus in the global South. © 2023, University of the Western Cape. All rights reserved.

Experiences of the Migrant Farmworkers during the Syndemic Due to COVID-19 in Spain

The present article addresses the COVID-19 syndemic, that is, the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with other diseases that interact and are determined by patterns of social inequality. The living and working conditions of migrant farmworkers increases the transmission of COVID-19. Descriptions of the experiences of migrant farmworkers provided by the professionals from different organizations that tend to them allowed the authors to discover the syndical nature of COVID-19. This study is based on qualitative descriptive research. Seventeen workers from different organizations participated in the study, through in-depth interviews between January and June 2022. A thematic analysis was performed to analyze the qualitative data. Two main themes emerged: Non-compliance with the collective labor agreement, and non-compliance with workplace health and safety standards. The results suggest that the adverse living and working conditions of the migrant farmworkers increased their risk of COVID-19 infection, due to the lack of compliance with the health measures decreed. The vulnerability experienced by migrant farmworkers increased work conflicts and prompted their mobilization to fight for their rights. © 2023 by the authors.

Migrant Workers and Indian Labor Legislation: A Review

This article highlights the relevance of the two important Indian labor legislations in relation to migrant workers. A few observed gaps in these legislations are discussed. The article addresses the research questions and objectives through an understanding of both the laws. ISMA and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions code (2020) (OSH). The identified gaps in these legislations could be a reason for their ineffectiveness at critical situations like the crisis caused by the Covid 19 lockdown. The study takes a timely review to bring some suggestions to enhance the applicability and effectiveness of the upcoming Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020.

Asian communities' well-being in Aotearoa during Covid-19: The mitigating role of sense of belonging in the relationship between racism and life satisfaction

INTRODUCTION: Anti-Asian racism was a feature of the social response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and its impact on the well-being of Asian communities warrants closer examination. The current study aimed to gauge whether the sense of belonging mitigated the adverse effects of racism on life satisfaction for self-identified Asian New Zealanders.METHODS: This analysis included 1341 responses to a cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2021. Descriptive analyses outline how components of a sense of belonging were distributed among participants and those who experienced racism during the Covid-19 pandemic. We used linear regression to examine the role of a sense of belonging as a potential pathway variable in the association between experiencing racism and life satisfaction.FINDINGS: In this survey, four out of 10 participants reported experiencing racism in the first 18 months of the pandemic. Participants' life satisfaction decreased slightly since January 2020 (p<0.001). Experiencing racism was associated with decreased life satisfaction. All the components of sense of belonging reduced the magnitude of this negative association between racism experience and life satisfaction, in particular, expressing one's own ethnic identity and belonging in Aotearoa.CONCLUSIONS: Given that anti-Asian racism is currently a feature of life and a significant stressor during the pandemic, this study provides empirical evidence of the protective role of a sense of belonging against anti-Asian racism. This study focused on Asian members in Aotearoa New Zealand, but its practical implications have the potential to support other minoritised ethnic communities who also experience racism during the pandemic and beyond.

The "epidemic within the pandemic”: meeting the needs of racially minoritised women experiencing domestic abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic

PurposeIn March 2020, the UK entered its first lockdown responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the same month, the Domestic Abuse Bill had its first reading in Parliament. Charities and non-governmental organisations critiqued the Bill for failing to protect migrants from domestic abuse, and not complying with the Istanbul Convention. Drawing on interviews with staff from Southall Black Sisters, this paper aims to foreground the experiences of practitioners within the women's sector to explore the unique experiences and challenges migrant and racially minoritised women encountered when seeking support from domestic abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. It highlights how the pandemic-related lockdowns created barriers to accessing support services and housing, creating an epidemic within the pandemic, and how minoritised women and the organisations that supported them had to overcome structural barriers and racism.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff from a leading women's organisation that supports migrant and racially minoritised women. Four participants were asked questions within four themes: domestic abuse before and during the pandemic;accessing support from and reporting domestic abuse;accessibility of resources;and post-pandemic challenges. A phenomenological approach was used to analyse the transcribed interviews.FindingsParticipants consistently highlighted the unique threats and barriers migrant and racially minoritised women faced when seeking support. Barriers included racism, language barriers, cultural constraints, the triple threat of destitution, detention, deportation, and political resistance to protect migrant women from destitution/homelessness.Originality/valueThis paper provides a unique insight into the experiences of staff members within a specialist by and for women's support organisation in England and their perspectives on the barriers racially minoritised and migrant women experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. It offers rare insights into how service users' needs changed during the lockdowns and how the pandemic affected their ability to operate.

The Public's COVID-19 Fatigue and Mental Health Towards COVID-19 Public Health and Social Measures (PHSMS) and Mental Health in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Objectives: The public's stated preference for public health and social measures (PHSMs), and levels of pandemic fatigue are insufficiently fixed. We aim to quantify the public's preferences for varied PHSMs, and measure population's pandemic fatigue. Method(s): We conducted a cross-sectional, nationwide sampling, survey-based experiment to assess public preference for and attitudes towards PHSMs. A set of psychometric scales, specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic fatigue scale (CPFS), was used to screen fatigue levels in the respondents. The multinomial logit model (MNL) and latent class model (LCM) were utilized for choice tasks analysis, and Mann-Whitney tests were used for CPFS statistical analysis. Result(s): There were 689 respondents, who completed the survey, and were included in the study after quality control. The discrete choice experiments revealed that respondents attached the greatest importance to the risk of COVID-19 infection within three months (45.53%), followed by loss of income within three months (30.69%). Vulnerable populations (lower-income and older respondents) are more sensitive to the risk of infection, and younger respondents are more sensitive to income loss and prefer non-suspension of socialization and transportation. Migrants, and respondents with a higher level of fatigue, have less acceptance of the mandatory booster vaccination and suspension of transportation. Additionally, a higher fatigue level was observed in females, younger respondents, migrants, and relatively lower-income respondents. Conclusion(s): Fatigue and fear of COVID-19 infection contributed to the public's mental health problem. Hence, at the late-stage pandemic, policymakers should consider reducing people's mental burden via relieving people's fear of infection when PHSMs are being relaxed. And this also provides insights for the outbreaks' PHSMs implementation in the future.Copyright © 2023

From panic to business as usual: What coronavirus has revealed about migrant labour, agri‐food systems and industrial relations in the Nordic countries

This article focuses on migrant labour in Nordic agriculture, wild berry picking and food processing. The starting point is the fear of a food crisis at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic (2020) because of the absence of migrant workers. The question was raised early in the pandemic if food systems in the Global North are vulnerable due to dependence on precarious migrant workers. In the light of this question, we assess the reactions of farmers and different actors in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to what looked like an unfolding food crisis. In many ways, the reactions in the Nordic countries were similar to each other, and to broader reactions in the Global North, and we follow these reactions as they relate to migrant workers from an initial panic to a return to business as usual despite the continuation of the pandemic. In the end, 2020 proved to be an excellent year for Nordic food production in part because migrant workers were able to come. We discuss reasons why the Nordic countries did not face disruptions during the pandemic, map out patterns of labour precarity and segmentation for migrant labour in agriculture and food production in the Nordic countries and propose questions for further research. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Social distancing causing crises: learning from workforce adaptation by e-tailers

PurposeThis study explores workforce related adaptation by e-tailers during social distancing causing crises (SDCC) and provides a conceptual framework.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory based approach has been used wherein about 120 news articles were analyzed to understand the real-world measures taken. 50 journal papers were also referred to. A typical qualitative methodology, including open, and axial was used.FindingsIn the early stages, panic buying emerged as the key disrupting factor which necessitated staff shortage management. In the long term, e-tailers can adapt to prevent reverse worker migration and modify their hiring and training processes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study synthesizes knowledge on workforce-related adaptation by e-tailers and offers considerable potential for future research as well as the development of case studies and consulting services for the industry. Two research propositions are offered that can guide hypothesis generation and further studies can be conducted in sectors other than retail also.Practical implicationsThis study puts forward propositions based on theoretical dimensions for managers adapting to workforce-related problems during SDCC. The pandemic has led to vast unemployment and the shutting down of a number of businesses across the globe due to economic downfall. Hence, this study has economic and social implications.Originality/valueThis study is unique as it is one of the few that delves into e-tailers' workforce- related adaptation as SDCC evolves and contributes to a body of literature which is scarce.

Navigating crisis, navigating ICTs: A study of Indian migrant workers during the pandemic

In this note, we present the preliminary findings from a qualitative interview-based study among migrant workers in India who went through much hardship in the wake of one of most strict pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020. Through this study, we narrate the four ways in which digital technologies enabled the relief and crisis mitigation efforts targeted to migrant workers and how that in turn shaped the workers' experience of the crisis and associated relief efforts. We argue that more flexible use of familiar digital tools and channels, collaboration across state and non-state actors and assistance from human intermediaries in navigating ICTs make for more effective and inclusive relief measures. © 2022 ACM.

'There will be no law, or people to protect us': Irregular Southeast Asian seasonal workers in Taiwan before and during the pandemic

This paper investigates the everyday lived realities of Southeast Asian migrant workers who left the formal sector of the labour market and entered the informal agricultural sector before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. Drawing on observations of migrants' daily lives and farm work and 19 in-depth interviews, it delves into migrants' subjective experiences of vulnerability, paternalism, exploitation, and control at work due to a lack of legal protection and the illegality of their employment. Although the literature has identified a link between 'running away' from formal employment and seeking freedom, this research suggests a continuum between experiences of work in the formal and informal economic sectors. The paper sheds new light on mobility, work, illegality, and informality and how these have constantly shaped 'runaway' workers' subjective experiences of freedom and unfreedom during the pandemic.

Negative Integration Is What States Make of It? Tackling Labour Exploitation in the German Meat Sector

In this article, we trace Germany's recent reform (and its precursors) seeking to remedy precarious working conditions in the meat sector. Focusing on an extreme case of labour exploitation, and asking how unique it is, allows us to uncover which institutional features of EU Member States condition the liberalization effects of negative integration. We thereby contribute to the literature on Europeanization, which has mainly emphasized weak industrial relations to account for the German meat industry's reliance on cheap migrant labour. Complicated enforcement structures, demanding requirements of administrative cooperation, and the complexities of an evolving case law, we argue, further contributed to the precarious conditions of migrant workers in Germany. Major COVID outbreaks in slaughterhouses created the political momentum for reform which specifically addresses this administrative side of labour protection, but remains limited to the meat sector – despite similar patterns of labour exploitation elsewhere.

Migrant Worker Dormitories: Virus in a Neoliberal Politics of Space

In neoliberal Singapore, capitalism thrives on the exploitation of low-waged migrant workers who are attracted to Singapore to earn a living building and cleaning the city and serving its residents. Their presence in this already crowded city provokes a dualistic public response that originates from a grudging acceptance of their indispensability: on the one hand, a refusal to allow them to fully integrate with Singapore society and be treated as equal human beings;and, on the other hand, a compassionate desire to help them when they are in need. The former tendency has had the effect of making migrant workers as invisible as possible, hence the profitable solution to house large numbers of them in dormitories located in the peripheral spaces of the island. Capitalism, profit maximization, and space optimization have created conditions and practices of exploitation that are, in normal times, cloaked in invisibility. The 2020 outbreak of COVID-19 in these dormitory spaces should not be surprising, unless they had been so well-hidden in the blind spots of public conscience and policy consciousness. The outbreaks also produced dualistic public reactions: moral panic and the stigmatization of infectious foreigners as dirty and dangerous folk devils, which demands further spatial segregation;and civic activism that steps up to the service of helping the vulnerable in their time of need. The solutions going forward will likely be technical rather than normative in nature, well within the segregating and exploitative logic of neoliberal globalization, with evermore-ingenious ways to extract value from migrant-worker labour, while making them and the heterotopia in which they exist as invisible and distant as possible. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Immigrant Legal Status among Essential Frontline Workers in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: IMR

Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has extracted a substantial toll on immigrant communities in the United States, due in part to increased potential risk of exposure for immigrants to COVID-19 in the workplace. In this article, we use federal guidance on which industries in the United States were designated essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, information about the ability to work remotely, and data from the 2019 American Community Survey to estimate the distribution of essential frontline workers by nativity and immigrant legal status. Central to our analysis is a proxy measure of working in the primary or secondary sector of the segmented labor market. Our results indicate that a larger proportion of foreign-born workers are essential frontline workers compared to native-born workers and that 70 percent of unauthorized immigrant workers are essential frontline workers. Disparities in essential frontline worker status are most pronounced for unauthorized immigrant workers and native-born workers in the secondary sector of the labor market. These results suggest that larger proportions of foreign-born workers, and especially unauthorized immigrant workers, face greater risk of potential exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace than native-born workers. Social determinants of health such as lack of access to health insurance and living in overcrowded housing indicate that unauthorized immigrant essential frontline workers may be more vulnerable to poor health outcomes related to COVID-19 than other groups of essential frontline workers. These findings help to provide a plausible explanation for why COVID-19 mortality rates for immigrants are higher than mortality rates for native-born residents.

Perceived Barriers of Accessing Healthcare among Migrant Workers in Thailand during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has threatened health and well-being in all populations. This impact is also deepening structural inequalities for migrant workers in Thailand. Due to their vulnerability and limited opportunity to access health services, they have greater risks in many health aspects compared to other populations. This qualitative study sought to examine the key health concerns and barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare access among migrant workers in Thailand through the lens of policymakers, healthcare professionals, experts on migrant health, and migrant workers. We conducted 17 semi-structured in-depth interviews of stakeholders from health and non-health sectors in Thailand from July to October 2021. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using both deductive and inductive thematic approaches. Thematic coding was applied. The results showed that financial constraints were a major barrier for healthcare access among migrant workers. These included affordability of healthcare and difficulty accessing funds (migrant health insurance). Structural barriers included some health facilities opening for emergency cases only. Insufficient healthcare resources were profound during the peak of positive cases. Cognitive barriers included negative attitudes and diverse understanding of healthcare rights. Language and communication barriers, and a lack of information also played an important role. Conclusion, our study highlights healthcare access barriers to migrant workers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for future resolution of these barriers were also proposed.

Use of Bluetooth contact tracing technology to model COVID-19 quarantine policies in high-risk closed populations.

Containment measures in high-risk closed settings, like migrant worker (MW) dormitories, are critical for mitigating emerging infectious disease outbreaks and protecting potentially vulnerable populations in outbreaks such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The direct impact of social distancing measures can be assessed through wearable contact tracing devices. Here, we developed an individual-based model using data collected through a Bluetooth wearable device that collected 33.6M and 52.8M contact events in two dormitories in Singapore, one apartment style and the other a barrack style, to assess the impact of measures to reduce the social contact of cases and their contacts. The simulation of highly detailed contact networks accounts for different infrastructural levels, including room, floor, block, and dormitory, and intensity in terms of being regular or transient. Via a branching process model, we then simulated outbreaks that matched the prevalence during the COVID-19 outbreak in the two dormitories and explored alternative scenarios for control. We found that strict isolation of all cases and quarantine of all contacts would lead to very low prevalence but that quarantining only regular contacts would lead to only marginally higher prevalence but substantially fewer total man-hours lost in quarantine. Reducing the density of contacts by 30% through the construction of additional dormitories was modelled to reduce the prevalence by 14 and 9% under smaller and larger outbreaks, respectively. Wearable contact tracing devices may be used not just for contact tracing efforts but also to inform alternative containment measures in high-risk closed settings.

COVID-19 debunks the myth of socially sustainable supply chain: A case of the clothing industry in South Asian countries.

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has exposed the fragility of the clothing supply chain operating in South Asian countries. Millions of workers have become jobless and are staring at an uncertain future. The purpose of this research is to understand the reasons behind the lack of social sustainability in the clothing supply chain operating in South Asian countries and to suggest ways for an appropriate redressal. Interviews with experts have revealed that the dominant power of some brands in the clothing supply chain is the primary reason. Unauthorised subcontracting of clothing manufacturing and the use of contract labour are also responsible for violations in the 'code of conducts' of social compliance. Post COVID-19, a sustainable sourcing model that incorporates disruption risk sharing contracts between the brands and suppliers should be adopted. Unauthorised subcontracting of clothing manufacturing by the suppliers must be prohibited. Supplier selection and the order allocation policies of the brands should also be tuned to facilitate social security of workers. The participation of NGOs and labour unions should be encouraged so that community development initiatives reach the grassroots level.