原題：高齡外來工困境
文：啊K 異客公益
English summary below
編按：有頭髮邊個想做癩痢？工人去到異地打工，都是務求有更穩定同高薪的工作。誰知什麼保障也沒有，迫使老年時還是為養老金奔波！這個不也是香港工人的寫照嗎？我地就睇睇內地老人家工作的艱苦情況！
在這塊大陸上，越來越多的高齡人員散落在各行各業辛勤地“活著”。外來務工人員（按：一般泛指建築行業、搬運等等低技術，體力勞動為主的工人，和農民工含義相近。）的高齡化也隨著《2014年全國農民工監測調查報告》、今年五一期間《新聞1+1》欄目老農民工專題等引起越來越多關注。
我們現在面對的究竟是怎樣的外來工高齡化趨勢？
高齡段增加是正常還是異常？
因居住證辦理手續各地方程序不一，流動人口監測結果總體偏小，也不難看出高齡人口的近幾年遞增速率呈上升趨勢。 80年代末90年代初大量青壯年從農村遷移到城市，當時外來人口高齡段是空缺的，現今他們以穩定的加速度邁入老年，因而可遇見未來5年高齡的外來務工人員比例會更高。這樣似乎是比較合理的自然推進的結果。
然而這樣的純數據推論會掩蓋外來務工者高齡化的自願性及模糊高齡的保障程度。
不想退休還是不敢退休?
與城市居民不同，外來務工人員的高齡化加重是非傳統的現象。在廣州、貴州各地展開的高齡外來務工人員的調研中，很多超過退休年齡的老工人表示，為了養老他們不得不繼續工作。他們當初為了家庭改善來到城市工作，打工所得大多為支撐下一代成長，自己在城市生根意願並不強烈。貴州人社局的調研中超過50%農民工更想回到農村養老。
和現在新生代打工者不同，他們的文化水平更低，對低技術性工作的粘性更高。
而對於企業，雖然農民工的工資連年增長，但這樣的工資水平對那些想要在城市安家落戶的新一代勞動者來說，吸引力仍不夠，只有那些工作在城市、未來會回到農村的勞動力（高齡外來務工者是典型代表）願意工作。所以以高齡外來務工者應對民工荒已經成為事實，高齡外來務工就業將會成為一種新的常態。
供需的平衡促使外來務工工齡化越趨上升。但可以預見，當體力不能支撐工作，不想退休也被迫一定要退休的高齡外來務工者，是需要製度扶持和保障的。
福利悖論
根據《2014年全國農民工監測調查報告》，農民工“五險一金”的參保率分別為：工傷保險26.2%、醫療保險17.6%、養老保險16.7%、失業保險10.5%、生育保險7.8 %、住房公積金5.5%。
養老保險和醫療保險是高齡外來務工者最為關切的，但仍有80%以上的高齡外來務工人員沒選擇參保，可歸咎為參保意識淡泊、用人單位設置阻力大等，但其中他們留在城市意願的因素不該被忽略。五險一金和本地居住密不可分。
十幾年前，在外出務工還被稱為“盲流”、時時還冒著不知道哪天被遣返的風險的環境中，這群現在的高齡外來務工者難以萌生年老退休後仍留在城市的想法。
08年新的勞動法出台，雖然法律規定可以補繳福利，但基於現實考量，退休後多數高齡外來務工人員選擇回鄉生活，享受更低成本的農村醫保。當人有長期居住的安定感和打算時，或許這些福利才能落到實處。
或許把流動人口真正看作價值創造的主體，把更多資源投入流動社區建設，打破選擇的阻隔，老齡外來務工者才能避免“如果有一天，我老無所依”的境地。
English translation:
In China there is an increasing trend of aging workforce, and many of them come from other provinces.
In the 1980s there were a massive flow of youths entering into the city to work, yet this coming 5 years, China will experience the peak of aging workforce. Unlike the urban population, these migrant workers who were usually farmers are entitled to little protection and thus all they can do to survive — is to continue working.
These workers, working at Guizhou and Guangzhou, have lower educational level and thus higher inertia to their jobs. While the cities’ average pay is rising, it has not risen high enough to attract the younger laborers. Thereby, the old ones are used to tackle the problem of low supply of workers (at the Pearl River Delta Region).
This vulnerable group requires our attention and support.
Welfare would do more good only if their will to go back to the rural area is taken seriously
According to survey (2014 National farmers-workers investigation survey report), these farmer-workers have very seldom participated in social security plans. Only 26.2% got plans for occupational injuries, 17.6% gets healthcare, 16.7% gets old age pension, 10.5% gets unemployment plan, 7.8% has birth insurance, and lastly only 5.5% has housing pension.
In terms of healthcare and old age, which is the most imminent to those migrant workers, a very low percentage of them decides to join the security plan. The reasons for that may be low awareness to social security and hindrance by work unit, but the major reason should be that they want to go back to the rural area after retirement.
Even though the 2008 labour law reform enables workers to make up to disparity of urban and rural old age plan to enjoy welfare in the urban areas, due to practical considerations, they would choose to go back to the rural areas. It reflects that only when they could possibly have a long term planning for a secure livelihood would these welfare polices be well implemented.