What is a blue collar?

Blue-collar workers are the western definition of lifestyle. To put it simply, employees engaged in labor work may be factory operators, and blue-collar workers are often compared with white-collar workers. The lifestyle of blue-collar workers is obviously not desk work.

The word blue collar originally belongs to American English, and its history can be traced back to the clothing regulations of early factories. At that time, the factory unified the operation of the industrial navy uniform, using durable and dirt-resistant fabrics. According to the product line of the operator, the design is also different. For example, some wear hats and some have more pockets, but most of the colors belong to dark series, which is very different from white-collar workers.

The word blue-collar is sometimes used to add words such as environment, restaurants or bars to indicate that the area is frequented by blue-collar workers or has the characteristics of attracting blue-collar workers. However, such descriptions are not always positive. Sometimes describing a bar as a blue-collar bar may represent negative descriptions, such as violence, rudeness and only basic services. The use of the word blue-collar in the west often carries some derogatory meanings. More positive statements may include special efforts on manual work, special requirements on functions, little concern about red tape and no desire for anything.

Many blue-collar workers are quite experienced and knowledgeable about their work. Although not all of them have formal school education, after accumulating certain experience, they are usually appointed as team leaders by superiors, such as foremen, which is an example. Other blue-collar workers also have the characteristics of wage calculation and payment, usually by the hour, which may be paid weekly instead of monthly, or by cash instead of cheque or remittance bank. There are fewer blue-collar (en:Shift_work) holidays when working in shifts. The salary of blue-collar workers is lower than that of white-collar workers in most cases, and some very professional blue-collar workers may also have high salaries. Finally, compared with white-collar workers, blue-collar workers face very high occupational injuries and risks, and usually enjoy certain medical insurance benefits.

Blue-collar trade union is an important organization to strengthen the occupational safety and welfare of blue-collar workers. Blue-collar trade unions often negotiate with employers on details such as welfare, working hours and salary, and also have the responsibility to mediate contradictions within the organization. Many famous strikes were initiated by blue-collar unions.

The blue-collar survey shows that there are slightly more men than women; Showing a younger trend, people under 35 account for 55% of the blue-collar population; Nearly 50% of blue-collar workers have high school, technical secondary school or technical school education; The blue-collar income is moderate, and the average monthly income of 42% blue-collar individuals is 1000 to 2,000 yuan.

Ethnic Characteristics The blue-collar population in China is growing rapidly, even surpassing the white-collar population. With the emergence of new industries such as computers, air conditioners and mobile phones, the scope of blue-collar employment has extended from "production line" to after-sales service. Modern blue-collar workers have unified production skills and professional norms, which exist in various industries, such as senior skilled workers with standardized services, taxi drivers and logistics and transportation workers, chefs with high sanitary standards, and modern agricultural knowledge farmers with mechanized operations.