Workers must be paid more than lip service
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Time">Time</span> <span word="magazine">magazine</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="announcement">announcement</span> <span word="that">that</span> "<span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="Worker">Worker</span>" <span word="was">was</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="runners">runners</span>-<span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="Person">Person</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Year">Year</span> <span word="award">award</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="photographs">photographs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="factory">factory</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Shenzhen">Shenzhen</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="surprise">surprise</span>. "<span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="outlet">outlet</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="friendly">friendly</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="credit">credit</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="thus">thus</span>" <span word="must">must</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>. </p><p><span word="Time">Time</span> <span word="cited">cited</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="played">played</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="stimulating">stimulating</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="recovery">recovery</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="choosing">choosing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="Worker">Worker</span>. "<span word="Who">Who</span> <span word="deserves">deserves</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="credit">credit</span>," <span word="the">the</span> <span word="magazine">magazine</span> <span word="said">said</span>, "<span word="above">above</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tens">tens</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="millions">millions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="homes">homes</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="families">families</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="factories">factories</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="booming">booming</span> <span word="coastal">coastal</span> <span word="cities">cities</span>." </p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="explanation">explanation</span> <span word="prompts">prompts</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="think">think</span>: <span word="How">How</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="talked">talked</span> <span word="proudly">proudly</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="feat">feat</span> <span word="of">of</span> "<span word="maintaining">maintaining</span> <span word="an">an</span> 8 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>"? <span word="And">And</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="focusing">focusing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spotlight">spotlight</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="workers">workers</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="lauded">lauded</span> <span word="as">as</span> "<span word="the">the</span> <span word="leading">leading</span> <span word="class">class</span>" <span word="and">and</span> "<span word="the">the</span> <span word="masters">masters</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>"? </p><p><span word="Though">Though</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="abandoned">abandoned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="terminologies">terminologies</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="yore">yore</span>, <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="regarded">regarded</span> - <span word="officially">officially</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="theoretically">theoretically</span> - <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="deserve">deserve</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="respect">respect</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="bid">bid</span> <span word="to">to</span> "<span word="let">let</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="wealthy">wealthy</span>". <span word="Reality">Reality</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="different">different</span>. </p><p><span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="migrant">migrant</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="booming">booming</span> <span word="coastal">coastal</span> <span word="cities">cities</span>". <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span> <span word="villagers">villagers</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="garment">garment</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="shoemaking">shoemaking</span> <span word="factories">factories</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="restaurants">restaurants</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="construction">construction</span> <span word="sites">sites</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="about">about</span> 2,000 <span word="yuan">yuan</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="average">average</span> - <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="handsome">handsome</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="compared">compared</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="otherwise">otherwise</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="farming">farming</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="amount">amount</span>. </p>
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