By Nick Mackie Chongqing, Western China

Migrant workers waiting for some work on the streets of Chongqing

Chongqing, the world's biggest municipality is a powerful manufacturing hub.

But it also has a rather unique service industry - the "bang bang" or oddjobbing migrant worker.

The Chinese say that three phenomena make Chongqing one of the Middle Kingdom's special cities.

One is the local fiery hot pot dish, another the beautiful local women - and then, there's the oddjob street haulage worker.

The latter are the poor men and women from the countryside who come here to eke out a living lugging anything from bricks to fridges along this city's steep lanes.

Unique phenomonon

They began drifting to Chongqing in the early 1990's when the land tied peasants were set free.

Women are also involved in the street haulage work

And now, there are now well over 100,000 living here - in the city's old, poor areas.

These street haulers are unique to Chongqing.

That's because this is a mountainside metropolis - one of the few urban sprawls in China where you won't see bicycles, as cycling here would be tougher than the Tour de France.

So, with Chongqing growing fast, there's a market throughout the city for porters-on-demand - whether at the bus stations, the Yangtze dockside or outside stores and supermarkets.

Big bucks

And they'll haul a washing machine a mile for around 50 US cents.

In a city with so much cheap, hard working labour, there are those who are now making big bucks from lugging goods around for a price.

Former peasant farmer and bang bang Liu Xiaoxiao has hung up his bamboo pole and now controls his own street haulage company, which, to command respect, he models on the army - calling it the Chongqing Bang Bang Army Battle Corporation.

Mr Lui, a wiry little man with a serious squint, is Commander-in-Chief.

" I have been a bang bang myself. I know their way of life, " he explains.

"They are a group of people with the lowest social status and are easily abused in a big city. Their rights can't be protected.

Vulnerable

"To work for a company, they will be united and be protected."

Liu Xiaoxiao runs his own company for migrant workers

Mr Lui, from Sichuan Province, stopped off in Chongqing 11 years ago on his way along the Yangtze route to Shanghai.

But he ran out of cash.

First he tried selling vegetables, but that came to an end when he was accused of cheating.

He was beaten up and his stock trashed.

So, the only option for him was to take to the streets as an oddjob haulage man.

Joining forces

Now, he keeps 30 freelance workers on the go with removal and cleaning work.

These men earn around $20 a week, while the Chongqing Bang Bang Army Battle Corporation turns over a $1,000.

Han Jin helps run a business for unskilled female workers

Out on the streets, competition between street haulers can be fierce - especially outside the big department stores where many hustle for work, carrying shopping home to the city's many high rise apartments.

Any newcomer will need to muscle-in, literally, if they want to tout for work on another oddjob hauler's turf.

"The larger the group, the more powerful it is to get work and not to be bullied by other groups," stresses Mr Lui.

Facing violence

He adds that fighting is a common way to settle disputes.

This makes life even tougher for women trying to make ends meet.

With only one year of high school education and her prospects limited to peasant farm work, Han Jin left her village home 12 years ago when she was 17 to try her luck in the big city.

She made ends meet by waitressing, baby sitting and other types of work itinerant females can do such as cleaning.

Han Jin was particularly struck by how tough it is for poor women in the city.

So with help from friends and family, she set up a company - The Women's Army Domestic Service Company - that specialises in finding work for unskilled women.

More growth ahead

Four years on, she now has more than 500 women on her books, mainly engaged in cleaning.

She's coy about her turnover, but agrees that it is around $20,000 a month.

She also believes that both the supply and demand of unskilled labour - including street porters - will continue as Chongqing grows and more people with money expect to be served.

"Yes, I think this unique phenomena will continue," she said.

"Because a city like Chongqing is very special.

Convenience

"There is the extra labour from the country going to the city in order to make money.

"And the city people sometimes aren't capable of carrying heavy things. If there are no bang bang, they'll be inconvenienced."

With a growing human resource pool to rely on, around 20 companies, run by formerly poor migrants, have opened up in Chongqing.

Clearly, in China's Socialist market economy, there's room for classic capitalism - even if, you're a humble "bang bang".