Six migrant workers will attend the 11th People's Congress of Guangdong Province in January of next year as delegates, the first time this demographic will have direct representation in the provincial legislature.

 

The move came in March after the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted a resolution providing for rural migrant worker representatives in the national parliament for next year's session. This was viewed as a major step for the country's political reform.

 

Two of the six Guangdong delegates will be elected from Guangzhou, two from Shenzhen, one from Foshan and one from Dongguan by next Tuesday, said an official of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress.

 

Guangdong has more than 23 million migrant farm workers, greater than any other Chinese province.

 

"Farm workers turned legislators will help solve our difficulties in medical services and education," said Zhang Hongbing, a farmer who has worked in Guangzhou for years. "I hope children of migrant workers will have better education in the future."

 

China has more than 120 million migrant workers, most of whom are farmers from poor rural areas. They travel to the cities to work in construction, mining, cleaning, and catering industries.

 

Discrimination and prejudice against migrant workers are still common among urban Chinese, and news organizations have frequently reported infringements on their rights, such as unpaid wages.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2007)