Labor NGOs call for more finance, planning

An event to help the development of grassroots Chinese labor NGOs was held in Beijing on Wednesday.

More than 30 grassroots labor NGOs took part in the 2013 Beijing NGO Service Exhibition, to demonstrate their service projects and share experiences with each other.

The event also facilitated talks with 12 potential sponsor institutions such as the International Labor Organization, who also sponsored the event.

As legal cases for China's vulnerable migrant workers grow, many labor non-government organizations, so as the number of groups defending their rights, but not without difficulties.

Most NGOs have developed with many difficulties, lacking of policy support, financial aid and feasible strategic development planning.

"Many grassroots labor NGOs have no development planning, they do a lot of things for workers, but rarely get financial aid and do not know how to cooperate with the media," said Gao Wei, a worker from Little Bird Mutual-Aid Hotline for Migrant Workers, a Beijing-based labor NGO.

Little Bird held the event to provide training courses as well as a contact platform to institutions and NGOs.

Philippe Devaud representing the French Embassy said the event proved a good way to know the real needs of NGOs.

"Grassroots labor NGOs where workers get organized, helping migrant workers improve their living conditions are very important," he said.

One NGO leader said, "I have learned a lot from this event. The most important thing is to recognize some potential sponsors and I will visit them one by one after the event."

The NGOs mainly work providing workers legal aid, consultation and training. The majority of Chinese labor NGO organizers used to be law teachers, students or workers who had experience of safeguarding rights.