From China Daily (link):
The 200 million rural migrant laborers now working in Chinese cities, one of the major forces creating the economic boom of China and the world as well, need to be taken good care of their rights by the government and the society, experts said.
A central government survey has showed that 68 percent of employees in China’s manufacturing sector and 80 percent in the construction sector were rural migrant workers. According to a recently published survey by the Developmental Research Center of the State Council, China’s cabinet, the nation’s rural migrant labor force rose to 200 million people this year. The survey found that 120 million rural migrant workers now work in China’s cities, while another 80 million are in smaller towns. All of them have left even lower-paying farm life.
Although central authorities have issued reams of policy guidelines on protecting the rights of the migrant workers, experts say the local governments seeking higher growth rates and bigger local profits routinely ignored the law.
