reuters.myway.com/article/20050817/2005-08-17T144704Z_01_EIC753241_RTRIDST_0_ODD-CHINA-DIVORCE-DC.html

Oil workers trade in marriages for a job

Aug 17, 10:47 AM (ET)

BEIJING (Reuters) - Former employees of a state-run oilfield in north China are jumping through a strange hoop to get their jobs back -- they are filing for divorce.

China's state-run giants, once the heart of the planned economy, have cast off millions of employees since the launch of market reforms two decades ago.

But the Huabei Oilfield Co., based in Renqiu, Hebei province, Friday issued a new policy saying divorced laid-off employees could return to work, the Chinese news Web site www.sina.com.cn said Wednesday, citing an article by the local Yanzhao Metropolitan News.

"Following these rules, laid-off employees just have to have a divorce certificate and they are qualified for re-employment," former oilfield worker Wang Ying was quoted as saying.

"To qualify to get my job back, I had to divorce my husband of 10 years, even though we have a wonderful relationship."

Divorce is on the rise in China but still unusual outside big cities. State media reported 1.6 million couples from the country of 1.3 billion people divorced in 2004.

But among Huabei employees, untying the knot had become so common that people had replaced the standard greeting of "Have you eaten?" with "Are you divorced yet?," the report said.

Around 20 couples connected to the oilfield, a subsidiary of CNPC, China's largest oil and gas producer, had formally split on Monday alone, an official from the local marriage registration bureau was quoted as saying.

The report did not explain the oilfield's motives for the pro-divorce policy and company management was not immediately available for comment.

"This policy is just in trial stages," an oilfield manager told the newspaper. "I can't say anything about it."

Another good reason for not letting CNOOC buy Unocal...

—Dan

That China is one hell of a progressive country. It makes perfect $ense to make them a favored trade partner and continue the embargo on Cuba.

To me it's amazing that a country can run like that and still be in business let alone successful.

What do you think?

China: A social disaster waiting to happen or a society that has it's people so sheeped out, it's bound to be the greatest country in the world?

The USMC used to have a similar policy. Only they didn't allow you to get married in the first place.

Just kidding...

More on the topic....The Chinese Peoples liberation military machine....Is the largest Gay Organization on the face of the earth. All those years of culling baby females and China's enforced limits on children, have skewed the male/female population ratio numbers, to such an extent, that  they've raised an entire generation of male cannon fodder, with no sexual outlet, other than....well lets just say "each others company".

While Homosexuality is outlawed in China. "Long showers together till the wee hours of the morning" are a fact of life for 90% of the Chicom military and some of that attitude, may be trickling down to other parts of Chinese society as well.

The Chinese are not worried about producing more population. So destroying the institution of marrige and having a society of single worker drones, without family ties, appeals to their little commie sense, of building the glorious workers paradise.

Occam's Razor - They don't want to pay benefits.  

Quoted: Occam's Razor - They don't want to pay benefits.

That was my first thought.

Quoted: Quoted: Occam's Razor - They don't want to pay benefits.   That was my first thought.

Me too.

Quoted: Occam's Razor - They don't want to pay benefits.

no-brainer.

Quoted: "This policy is just in trial stages," an oilfield manager told the newspaper. "I can't say anything about it."

What's next?   Deserting your children?  

So what is happening in China will be interesting.

They have a limit of one child born to a married couple.  If you get pregnant
again you have to have a state ordered abortion.

And, in the culture, male children are much preferred to females.  So lots of
times they have abortions when they learn the child will be female.  

The result of that is that a very large majority of kids being born in China are male.

You wait about 20 years, when these babies are adults and ready for sex and marriage,
and there are no women for them.  

They will either overthrow their own government in revolt, or they will invade someone
elses country to take the women.  Either way it's headed for a mess of epic proportions.

Quoted: Quoted: "This policy is just in trial stages," an oilfield manager told the newspaper. "I can't say anything about it." What's next?   Deserting your children?

No.

You abort children, or at least that's been China's policy so far.

Human rights, basic workers rights, and many other things we take for granted are non-existant in China.  It is a sad commentary on one of the oldest societies around.  

If you look at the development of industry however, you will see that China is following a similar path as many other industrialized nations.  The problem is they are about 150 years behind.  This is why it is a "second world" country.  

The Chinese are about where we were in the mid 1800's.  It wasn't until the Factory Act of 1833 that things started to improve in the US.  Before that it was not uncommon for children as young as 6/7 to be working 12-14 hour days in factories and textile mills.

One thing is for certain, China will change.  They can't avoid it.  Capitalism has taken root there and it will continue to grow.  The worst thing that has happened to the Communist Party in China is the regaining of Hong Kong.  They can not keep a lid on such a prosperous area in their own country and it will be the death of the party.  My prediction anyway.

Quoted: So what is happening in China will be interesting. They have a limit of one child born to a married couple.  If you get pregnant again you have to have a state ordered abortion. And, in the culture, male children are much preferred to females.  So lots of times they have abortions when they learn the child will be female.   The result of that is that a very large majority of kids being born in China are male. You wait about 20 years, when these babies are adults and ready for sex and marriage, and there are no women for them.   They will either overthrow their own government in revolt, or they will invade someone elses country to take the women.  Either way it's headed for a mess of epic proportions.

The one child policy was a terrible answer to a very difficult question.  As I understand it, there are provisions for having more than one child, but it is not easy to get approved.  For instance, if your first child is a girl, you can be allowed to have a second child in hopes for a boy.  The problem arises when the second child is a girl.   In China, it is the responsibility of the boy to take care of his parents.  It is not uncommon to have 4 generations living in one small "house".  If you do not have a son, not only does your family lineage end, you have noone to care for you when you get older.

Quoted: What's next?   Deserting your children?

The brutality of the state forced abortions has led to a high level of infanticide at the hands of the parents.  There are also many girls that are abandoned as hinted at by fight4yourrights.  But honestly, this is by far the riskiest and as such, bravest things that parents could do.  Abandoning the children is illegal in China (oddly enough) and if the parents are caught, they could face severe penalties including prison.  

The parents feel that the only chance this child has of living is by placing them in a spot where they will be found and taken to an orphanage.  I do not blame the parents, I blame the Communists that enacted the inhuman policy in the first place.

It is truly a sad situation.

Actually that is not true. It is the responsiblity of the youngest daughter to take care of the parents, traditionaly. My fathers youngest sister still lives in the same town as my grand parents so she can look after them.
they want boys to carry on the family name. It is important to have a son. Being the first born son of a first born son and all that is very important there. All my aunts and uncles came to my wedding because of that. Where as only 2 came to my cousin's wedding a year later.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Occam's Razor - They don't want to pay benefits.   That was my first thought. Me too.

My first thought as well... then I wondered if they even pay benefits at all.

Quoted: Actually that is not true. It is the responsiblity of the youngest daughter to take care of the parents, traditionaly. My fathers youngest sister still lives in the same town as my grand parents so she can look after them. they want boys to carry on the family name. It is important to have a son. Being the first born son of a first born son and all that is very important there. All my aunts and uncles came to my wedding because of that. Where as only 2 came to my cousin's wedding a year later.

Actually you are right and I agree it is the woman who cares for the daily needs of the family. I am strictly guessing here because I don't know you or your family, but it sounds as if in your situation, your aunt is not married.  If she did marry, there would be the chance that she would live with her husband and his family and be taking care of his parents, not hers.  At least that is the way it was explained to me.  Also, with the current one child policy, there could not be a youngest daughter, just an only daughter.

Quoted: Occam's Razor - They don't want to pay benefits.

Most chinese companies don't give benefits.

Hell they barely pay $2 an hour.

I think it's cause the chinese are running out of women.  The sale and slavery of women to produce heirs is growing.  This creates a pool of women for executives.

Quoted: Quoted: Actually that is not true. It is the responsiblity of the youngest daughter to take care of the parents, traditionaly. My fathers youngest sister still lives in the same town as my grand parents so she can look after them. they want boys to carry on the family name. It is important to have a son. Being the first born son of a first born son and all that is very important there. All my aunts and uncles came to my wedding because of that. Where as only 2 came to my cousin's wedding a year later. Actually you are right and I agree it is the woman who cares for the daily needs of the family. I am strictly guessing here because I don't know you or your family, but it sounds as if in your situation, your aunt is not married.  If she did marry, there would be the chance that she would live with her husband and his family and be taking care of his parents, not hers.  At least that is the way it was explained to me.  Also, with the current one child policy, there could not be a youngest daughter, just an only daughter.

That's where I see the train wreck coming from, there will not be enough females for this
to continue.  What then?  I fear bad things after that.

Quoted: That's where I see the train wreck coming from, there will not be enough females for this to continue.  What then?  I fear bad things after that.

Already happening.  Kidnapping and trafficing of women from vietnam and other Asia cultures is soaring.