While more and more citizens choose to celebrate their week-long
May Day holiday by traveling, migrant workers greet it with songs,
kisses and sweat.
On the construction site of the No.1 hospital affiliated to the
Jilin University in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, an open performance by local
theaters received applauses from the over 2,000 workers.
"I have never idled away my time in such a performance in the
five years since I came here," grinned Liu Guoqing from east
China's Jiangsu Province. "Today the traditional
dance-duet dispelled all my fatigue."
In the prosperous metropolis of Shanghai, migrant workers even
joined in performances, singing and dancing and taking part in
games to show their talents.
In central China's Wuhan City, ten migrant worker couples got
married in a group wedding ceremony.
You Xingbing and his bride Xiong Lijuan are both from Hubei and have been working in Wuhan for 13
and eight years. "Thanks to the government for realizing our dream
of a grand wedding ceremony, and thanks to all the participants --
those we know and those we don't know -- for witnessing our love,"
said the excited bridegroom, kissing his attired bride.
Yin Weizhen, vice mayor of Wuhan, presented the couples with
crystal souvenirs. Local government also footed the bill for their
full dresses, banquet and a night in a four-star hotel.
"I hope that the migrant workers could feel the warmth and
harmony of Wuhan by sharing the fruit of the city's development,"
said Wang Li, a city government official in charge of construction
work.
In Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, 30 migrant workers were
selected as model workers, an honor migrant workers enjoyed for the
first time in the city. They made up for nearly eight percent of
all the model workers there.
Liu Juncai from Dingzhou City of Hebei felt encouraged after
being given the honor. "It is not just my personal honor, but a
recognition of the society to the migrant workers like me," he
said.
In Beijing, Yang Shenggang was busy operating a crane on the
construction site of an Olympic stadium. The young man from China's
most populous Henan Province was among the some 5,300
workers toiling there.
"Beijing is in a critical period for Olympic construction, how
could we rest at this time," said Yang while taking a drink.
It is estimated there are 150 million migrant workers in cities
who help boost the country's booming economy. But their life has
been shadowed by delay of payment and poor working conditions.
In Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, 30-year-old Luo Huaxin was
wielding a hoe under the scorching sun.
"I don't dare to rest, as rest means less money," said the
sun-tanned man wiping his sweat.
Their wages were paid in line with their work. Digging one meter
in the ground could entitle them to four yuan (about US$0.5).
Therefore, rest was the least thing Luo expected, unless on
rainy days or he was badly ill.
Although in some areas of China like Chongqing Municipality and
coastal city of Qingdao in east China, migrant workers could enjoy
paid holiday, a lot more have to work every day so as to earn more
money.
"Concerning our real situation, it is not likely that all
migrant workers are granted with paid holidays now," said Yu Bo
with the Yunnan provincial trade union. "But we could help enhance
their legal awareness and teach them to protect their lawful
rights."
In fact, paid holiday is not what Luo Huaxin desired. "It
doesn't matter really if I have to work on holidays, as long as we
could get our overtime wages," said the man.
(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2007)