By Wang Hao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-04 07:45

I came to know Peng Xianzhi last week when he and his workmates came to fix my office window - the 22-year-old plasterer was hired to work on a facelift project for the China Daily office building.

It was almost dinner time and as we both came to the end of work, we were relaxed enough to chat.

Peng comes from Pingchang county, a hilly area of Sichuan. After senior high school, he joined the forces of "rural migrant workers" and has worked in Beijing for three years. He works eight hours a day for 100 yuan ($13.3) and earns 15 yuan an hour in overtime.

"The pay is fine. And it has never been delayed," Peng said, but he has no weekends, has a break only between projects.

Back in his village, his parents and a sister are "fine" with farming life. They can feed and clothe themselves, but depend on money Peng sends from Beijing.

Peng earns about 20,000 yuan a year, more than 10 times a farmer's cash income in his county.

Peng worked on the Happy Valley project, the city's largest amusement park, but has never returned there because "the admission charge (120 yuan) is too high". He has also worked on the Bird's Nest.

Asked about his New Year wish, the boyish-looking Peng was straightforward. "I wish to earn enough money to build a home and start a small business of my own", he said, adding: "I may go to a vocational school to learn new technical skills."

Peng also asked me what the job of "making a newspaper" was like. I explained the best I could and said "thank you", as Peng was about to leave.

Startled, he blushed and said: "You are welcome."

I felt I had got rid of some guilt because just the day before, I was frowning at the noise from the project.

Then it struck me: Peng was the first rural migrant worker I actually had a proper chat with in more than two decades of living in Beijing.

According to a survey published recently, fewer than a third of urban residents communicate with migrant workers regularly; and more than half do not even want to talk about them.

As we embrace the new year, should not we find a way to express our gratitude to workers who make a big difference to our lives?

We may not always acknowledge their existence but we cannot do without them.

As we play with our children at the Happy Valley park and pose in front of the imposing Bird's Nest, few of us think of workers like Peng. Instead, we are often reminded of the problems caused by migrant workers.

Beijing now has more than 3 million farmers-turned-workers, about one-fifth of the total population. They are building and becoming part of the capital.

What they need is the same public services that urban residents take for granted.

The government should ensure that rural workers are covered by a healthcare scheme; that they work in a safe environment; their children receive nine-year free education like every other city kid. And, the media should help air their concerns and make their voices heard.

I may never again see Peng, who has probably moved to a new project. But I hope his New Year wishes come true.

And I also hope that some day, workers like Peng will never be surprised to hear urbanites say "thank you".

E-mail: wanghao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/04/2008 page8)