Two senior officials met with six representatives of outstanding migrant workers and praised their contributions Monday.

Wang Zhaoguo and Liu Yunshan, both members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met the representatives in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before they made presentations about their deeds at a mass rally.

The migrant workers have been contributing a lot to China's urbanization and the prosperity of both urban and rural areas, said Wang Zhaoguo, who is also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress and president of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

"Governments at all levels must safeguard the migrant workers' legitimate rights, including getting payments in time, work safety and the schooling of their children," Wang said.

The six representatives are role models for both the 140-million migrant workers in the country and society as a whole, said Liu Yunshan, who is also head of the Department of Publicity of the CPC Central Committee.

"Media across the country must publicize their stories and experience to inspire other migrant workers, and to guide the public to respect, understand, care for and help the migrant workers," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2005)