Why Don’t They Complain? The Social Determinants of Chinese Migrant Workers’ Grievance Behaviors

Using survey data from China, the author examines how migrant workers respond to violations of labor law in their workplaces. The central puzzle is why, given apparent widespread violations, some workers choose not to pursue remedies. Findings show that only 25% of surveyed workers who experience labor law violations interpret their experiences as labor rights violations. The author argues that the social nature of the employment relationship explains some of this gap: Although workers who share local identities with their employers are more likely to work without employment contracts, they are significantly less likely to interpret these conditions as a violation of their labor rights and interests. This article extends the research on grievance behavior by drawing on research from the sociology of law and immigration to understand how these subjective interpretative processes and social identities outside of the workplace influence grievance behaviors.