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Every Chinese New Year throws up stories that show up the enormous differences between the rich and the poor. Take Zou Jianming. Head of a real-estate firm in Shanghai, he has hired a helicopter to go home. For 3 million yuan, he plans to visit several cities in his home province, all by helicopter. Curiously, he has got permission to land his helicopter in public squares, where security men guard it from gaping spectators.
On the other hand, millions of migrant workers are making their long and arduous journeys home in uncertain weather conditions. Snow and blizzards have thrown the public transport system out of gear, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at railway stations, but able to communicate with expectant families back home. During the New Year, passengers can make free phone calls home from railway stations. This time, 100,000 workers in southern Guangdong, China’s manufacturing hub, have hired motorbikes to go home to avoid the long queues for train and bus tickets. So, covered from head to foot, they are driving through the snow. The police have set up rest areas for them along major highways, where they can also repair their bikes and have some hot tea.
Mixed bag
These are the lucky ones. Like very year, hundreds of migrant workers haven’t been able to go home because they haven’t got their dues. Again, the government has done little except issue stern warnings. Most vulnerable are construction workers, whose contractors disappear once the project is complete. Workers in one city gheraoed their boss’ BMW; but he sent for another car and sped off. These workers, many of them over 50, had been driven off the construction site last October, without being paid. They have been living on the site in sheds, doing odd jobs, hoping they would get their dues. Their employer, however, told reporters that their work had been so shoddy, he was planning to sue them!
In another provincial capital, workers marched to the local government office with banners naming the defaulting companies and asking the government for help; but the police dispersed them. Their foreman had disappeared a month ago; since then, they had been sent from one government office to another. Finally, one of the companies offered 80 per cent of the wages. The workers had no option but to agree.
But the new year has also thrown up some generous employers. A textile manufacturer gave air tickets to employees to go home for the New Year; others gave apartments! These bonuses were handed out not to all, but only to the ‘10 best’ employees, carrying on the tradition in Mao’s time of honouring ‘model’ workers. Some of these bonuses are promised at the start of employment to woo migrant workers.
This year too, the country’s top two leaders spent the most important family festival with the people they rule over. Wen Jiabao spent New Year in a drought-hit province, chatting with teachers, playing musical instruments and sharing the New Year’s meal with farmers. Hu Jintao also chose a poor province, where he visited the railway station to ask staff, policemen and passengers about the difficulties they faced.
Life In China
On the other hand, millions of migrant workers are making their long and arduous journeys home in uncertain weather conditions. Snow and blizzards have thrown the public transport system out of gear, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at railway stations, but able to communicate with expectant families back home. During the New Year, passengers can make free phone calls home from railway stations. This time, 100,000 workers in southern Guangdong, China’s manufacturing hub, have hired motorbikes to go home to avoid the long queues for train and bus tickets. So, covered from head to foot, they are driving through the snow. The police have set up rest areas for them along major highways, where they can also repair their bikes and have some hot tea.
Mixed bag
These are the lucky ones. Like very year, hundreds of migrant workers haven’t been able to go home because they haven’t got their dues. Again, the government has done little except issue stern warnings. Most vulnerable are construction workers, whose contractors disappear once the project is complete. Workers in one city gheraoed their boss’ BMW; but he sent for another car and sped off. These workers, many of them over 50, had been driven off the construction site last October, without being paid. They have been living on the site in sheds, doing odd jobs, hoping they would get their dues. Their employer, however, told reporters that their work had been so shoddy, he was planning to sue them!
In another provincial capital, workers marched to the local government office with banners naming the defaulting companies and asking the government for help; but the police dispersed them. Their foreman had disappeared a month ago; since then, they had been sent from one government office to another. Finally, one of the companies offered 80 per cent of the wages. The workers had no option but to agree.
But the new year has also thrown up some generous employers. A textile manufacturer gave air tickets to employees to go home for the New Year; others gave apartments! These bonuses were handed out not to all, but only to the ‘10 best’ employees, carrying on the tradition in Mao’s time of honouring ‘model’ workers. Some of these bonuses are promised at the start of employment to woo migrant workers.
This year too, the country’s top two leaders spent the most important family festival with the people they rule over. Wen Jiabao spent New Year in a drought-hit province, chatting with teachers, playing musical instruments and sharing the New Year’s meal with farmers. Hu Jintao also chose a poor province, where he visited the railway station to ask staff, policemen and passengers about the difficulties they faced.
Life In China