The two premier Leaders of PR China had celebrated their Lunar New
Year by visiting the poorest in the community - the Rural Poor, to
feel and educate themselves of the real situation in rural
China.
While we call ourselves as the First World, there remains a large
section in our Singapore Community still stuck in the Third World
environment of 1-Room, 2-Room and 3-Rooms flats RENTED from the
HDB.
Have we ever seen the PM, SM, DPM, or any other Ministers actually
visiting the poorest in our Community, to view their living
environment, their economic situation, their immediate needs - even
on a normal day outside election periods, and let alone during a
major festive period ?
More often then not, it will be the Charity, Grassroot, Community
Workers, and the Charitable Public, who are left with the tasks to
attend to the unfortunate many, who have been left behind as the
rest progressed.
CHINA'S MIGRANT WORKERS
A lesson on poverty -
from the fireworks
By LEE CHEE KENG
FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
BEIJING -- Recently, a retired professor invited me to spend
Chinese New Year eve at his home in the Beijing suburbs. You will
get a real feel of Chinese New Year here, he said.
Before dinner that evening, we watched the news on TV reporting on
Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Hebei province earlier that
day.
The president's call on the farmers on Chinese New Year eve was
significant. He toured the village of Xishungou, visited the home
of one farmer and joined the family in making dumplings, a New Year
tradition in northern China. He urged local cadres to focus on
alleviating poverty among farmers, and ensure that all villagers,
especially the poorer ones, could afford dumplings during the
festive time.
In another family, he asked their son, who has worked as a
construction worker in Beijing, if he had received his wages. The
son replied: 'I worked there for seven months last year and have
received the three thousand I've earned.'
While President Hu was in Hebei, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao,
accompanied by local leaders, toured the central province of Henan.
Along the way, he ordered his car to stop at the Zhaodi Village of
Langgongmiao Town. Braving the freezing winter cold, Mr Wen asked
villagers about their Chinese New Year preparations, and encouraged
them to grow more food. He also visited the homes of villagers and
asked about their family incomes, health care and children's
schooling.
These visits by the two top Chinese leaders to rural villages were
given prime media coverage. It has been noted that commoners and
lower income groups occupy an important place in the new
leadership's agenda.
In the weeks prior to the New Year - which the Chinese prefer to
call the Spring Festival - lower income groups, such as villagers
in poorer areas and retired workers, were very much in the news.
Migrant workers in major Chinese cities, waiting to collect their
unpaid wages so that they can go home for the New Year, were
especially in the limelight.
These migrant workers are mostly young farmers from rural China who
went to major cities in search of work. Most became construction
workers. Those from the same village or town tend to group
together. A group leader would often get work from a subcontractor,
who in turn could be working for another subcontractor
upstream.
Over the years, migrant workers not getting paid for their labour
has become a common phenomenon. At the lowest end in the complex
myriad of subcontractors, some have waited for years for their
wages. Some resorted to kidnapping their subcontractors to demand
for their wages. Some were beaten up by their subcontractors when
they were too persistent in demanding their wages.
Along with these stories, the media carries many reports of local
governments across China helping migrant workers to recover their
unpaid wages.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, there was even a small
column in a Beijing local paper on the Chinese Embassy in Singapore
helping Chinese migrant workers caught in the plight.
These stories and reports give one the impression that assisting
migrant workers to recover their unpaid wages has become another
national movement in modern China.
The movement was sparked off, apparently, in October when Premier
Wen reportedly helped a migrant worker from Chongqing. Since then,
government agencies have swung into action to help migrant workers.
Local governments took the lead to negotiate with companies
involved, task groups were established to monitor the matter, and
channels were created to receive reports of such cases. Media
coverage and public opinion added momentum to the movement.
The Ministry of Construction reported that by Chinese New Year, 68
per cent of total unpaid wages, amounting to 21.5 billion yuan
(S$4.4 billion), had been recovered. The ministry also emphasised
that policies will be implemented to help protect the rights of
migrant workers.
A product of China's economic development, migrant workers have
contributed significantly to economic progress, alleviated rural
unemployment, and provided a cheap source of labour for the
cities.
They are also bearing the brunt of China's momentous shift away
from the planned economy. Where previously workers enjoyed the
protection of a job unit or commune under the state umbrella,
today's migrant workers are powerless and vulnerable in the cities
they are helping to develop.
At 10 minutes to twelve that night at the professor's house, in the
midst of our discussion on changes in China, a cacophony of
firecrackers went off outside the house, and kept going.
We went to the veranda, and what I beheld was the most impressive
display of fireworks I have seen. They were not just simple rockets
and sprinkles, but a dazzling display of performing lights that
shot high into the sky and broke into umbrellas of colourful
luminous glow.
We stood watching for over an hour, and I wondered aloud how much
all these would add up to.
The professor looked at the blocks of apartments around us and told
me that most of them are weekend homes for people working and
staying in the city.
As in any fast developing economy, there are those who enjoy a good
standard of living ahead of others. Many of those who own these
apartments are early winners in the race.
These apartments are not cheap, but they can afford it, he
said.
I recall that on my way to his apartment, I saw a long row of
people along the roads standing behind full boxes of firecrackers,
eager to sell them to anyone who would stop. From their dressing,
you could tell they were from the rural areas nearby.
When we were young we were poor, and so was everyone around us, so
we didn't feel it. Poverty might not be a problem, but disparity
can be, said the professor thoughtfully.
The writer is a Singaporean playwright and director based in
Beijing
This news article was extracted from the Straits Times, Tuesday
Edition, 3 February 2004 - which will be archived by 6 Feb
2004.
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/commentary/story/0,4386,233095-1075759140,00.html?
