A new generation of migrant workers


(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-03-12 11:34
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Editor's Note:

They are nearly 100-million strong; they were born and grew up in the countryside, but they no longer share their parents' love for the land; they find their jobs in the cities, but they also find it hard to call them home; they are the so-called post-80s and post-90s generation, but they are different from their urban counterparts - they are migrant workers. A new generation of migrant workers, who are distinctive from their predecessors - their mothers and fathers: They have higher levels of education; they strive for better working conditions and wages; and they hope to be part of the city life. Still, they are migrant workers, unable to enjoy equal social rights as the urban residents. At least for now, as the central government signals changes at the ongoing annual National People's Congress, China's parliament.

In Jinjiang city, Fujian province, young workers can be found doing their jobs at manufacturing factories or just enjoying dorm life, talking with their friends, playing pool or exercising. They are also at a job market in Jinjian, eagerly perusing the fliers and seeking information. Others are found in Fuzhou city, capital of Fujian province.