The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) awarded 1,018
individuals, including 18 migrant workers ahead of the
International Labor Day with "labor medals", the highest honor for
ordinary Chinese workers.
"We should further advocate the spirit of model workers to
influence hundreds of millions working people in the country," said
Wang Zhaoguo, chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions
(ACFTU), at the awarding ceremony held in Beijing on Wednesday.
Among the medalists, 18 are migrant workers, 17 more than last
awarding's. Bao Xianfeng, who came to work in the city from the
countryside, has become the first migrant worker winning the honor
in 2004.
"The awarding shows that society is starting to acknowledge and
respect migrant workers," said Zhou Yuqing, vice chairman of the
ACFTU, earlier this month.
The "labor medal" medalists can go on to be selected as "labor
heroes," an honor issued by the State Council, or the central
government.
However, of the 1,018 awardees, migrant workers accounted for
only 1.7 percent this year.
China has more than 120 million migrant workers, most of whom
work in arduous and insecure conditions for meagre wages.
The Chinese government issued a document on March 27, attaching
great priority to dealing with the issue of protecting the rights
of the farmer-turned workers, which recognizes the major problems
of safeguarding their rights, including low and often delayed pay,
long working hours, poor safety conditions and lack of social
security.
(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2006)