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Migrant worker lawmaker adapts to legislative life
(Xinhua) Updated: 2008-03-02 22:37 Their deputies will directly express their needs as they have personal experience and better communication with fellow migrants, Tang said. "It is of great symbolic and real significance in political democracy for migrant worker deputies to take their place in the country's top legislative body and participate in politics," says Xu Yaotong, professor of politics at the National School of Administration in Beijing. But only three deputies cannot represent them all, Xu says. "The number should increase and their abilities to fulfil new duties should grow." To be an NPC deputy is "a very tough job", Hu admits, "but I will try my best to be a good one." She will learn to handle things from other deputies at the congress which lasts about two weeks. Background China's migrant laborers from rural areas are estimated to number around 1.5 million. They have become a pillar of the country's work force, but they face various problems, including pay arrears, workplace injury compensation, health care and their children's schooling. The NPC annual session in March last year approved a draft resolution on legislative elections. The resolution stipulated that provinces and municipalities with a large population of rural migrant workers should have an NPC deputy quota for them. Migrant workers have previously held positions in provincial and city-level legislative bodies. They have become more involved in the development of the regions where they work. Guangdong has around 20 million migrant workers. In November, six migrant workers were elected to the provincial legislature. |
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