Six months ago, Zhen brought his girlfriend to the same factory. The couple now live in a one-bedroom apartment rented from the employer. The two, who plan to buy an apartment in the city, are waiting for more preferential housing policies to come out for migrant workers.

Another issue is education. Steps will be taken to ensure children of migrant workers in cities enjoy the same access to compulsory education as others.

Dai Shihua, a 37-year-old female worker, is in charge of a whole plant in Neoglory Jewelry Co Ltd, a leading jewelry producer based in Yiwu city in Zhejiang province.

Six years ago, Dai left her husband and little girl who lived in a poor village in Hubei province and came to Zhejiang alone. She started as a low-level worker and earned 1,000 yuan a month at first. Now Dai is managing dozens of people in a whole plant, and earning 3,000 yuan a month.

In the past, rural laborers had to pay an extra "sponsor fee" in order to let their children go to local schools. This accounted for one third of the total fees they paid for their children's education. Because of that, Dai had to leave her daughter and husband, though she has made a successful career.

In 2008, the Zhejiang provincial government canceled the sponsor fee and Dai brought her whole family to Zhejiang soon after that, where her husband found a job in the same factory and her daughter can receive a better education. The family is living in a two-bedroom company apartment.

"The life is much better here," Dai says. She now wants to settle down in the town permanently.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan