Life is difficult as outsourced laborer

Li Fangchao is glad he could become a regular employee at China National Aviation Fuel Supply Co this year.

Li, who once took various odd jobs in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Shanxi province, went to work at the State-owned employer in 2010 via an employment agency in Beijing.

The 27-year-old supplies gas for planes at the Beijing Capital International Airport every day and earns about 3,000 yuan ($470) a month. His salary is about 1,000 yuan less than regular workers doing the same job and of almost the same age.

"I often felt I was inferior to others and I lacked a sense of security working here because I always thought I was just an outsider to the company," he said.

But Li's worry has faded because the company's Beijing branch, where he works, plans to turn all its 138 outsourced workers into regular workers in the next three years.

Sun Li, board chairman of China National Aviation Fuel Group Corp, the parent company of Li's firm, said among its nearly 10,000 staff members across the country, 23 percent are outsourced ones and most of those workers are working in fuel supply and oil depot operation positions.

"We have found that there are frequent changes of outsourced workers because they lack a sense of belonging," he said, "Outsourced workers occupy 30 percent of our fuel supply posts. It would be dangerous and would affect the company's development if they randomly come and go."

The company started a program of turning outsourced workers into regular employees in 2010. Candidates' work performance, skills and work attitude would be considered when gauging their qualifications.

So far, the program has benefited 162 workers and the group vows to extend the program.

Thanks to the program, the turnover of outsourced workers is now 5 percent, down from 15 percent in 2010, according to Zhang Xinyue, Party chief of the company's Beijing branch.

Zhang also acknowledged that an outsourced worker would see a 16,000 yuan rise in wage, welfare and other bonuses a year after becoming a regular worker.

Zhang Lisong was outsourced to the company five years ago and he was lucky to become a regular worker in 2010.

chenxin1@chinadaily.com.cn