The commitment made by Premier Wen Jiabao in his government work report delivered on Sunday that the problems of migrant workers would draw more attention has been met with optimism.

"The fact that Premier Wen mentioned us farmer-turned workers time and again in his government work report proves that we migrant workers are getting more and more attention from the central government," said Zhang Huaiping, a migrant worker.

Zhang, 37, a farmer from Sancha Township of Jianyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, yesterday haunted the job markets in Chengdu, the provincial capital, in hope of finding a new job.

Migrant workers, numbered at about 130 million according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, have provided the cheap labour critical to China's rapid development.

However, migrant workers are discriminated against in many respects and have in fact become a marginalized group in cities.

While addressing the opening of the fourth session of the 10th National People's Congress Sunday morning, Premier Wen reiterated the commitments of the central government in making greater efforts to help solve a range of problems for migrant workers, including social security, education of their children and delayed payment of salaries.

Su Shicai, a farmer from Chongqing, an important industrial city on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, took special interest in the premier's promise to help kids from low-income families complete compulsory education.

His son, aged 9, who has been left behind in his rural hometown for schooling, is his biggest concern.

Ren Junru, principal of a garment vocational school in Jieshou, east China's Anhui Province, carefully studied Premier Wen's government work report from a newspaper.

He was very excited over Wen's commitment to the training and employment of migrant workers.

(China Daily March 8, 2006)