This is the new face of China's migrant workers.
They're smarter, and younger. In 2009, nearly 60 percent of them were below the age of 30, according to China's statistics bureau.
The China Labour Bulletin (CLB) says that also makes these 90 million or so younger-generation workers better connected and willing to strike for better pay.
CLB spokesman Geoffrey Crothall adds many of these younger migrant workers believe manufacturers can afford bigger salaries, and have become increasingly adept at using the Internet to mobilize.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) CHINA LABOUR BULLETIN SPOKESMAN, GEOFFREY CROTHALL, SAYING:
"There's often a lot more pressure on them to succeed than their parents. They're not going to go back to the village and add an extra storey to the family farmhouse. They want to build a life for themselves in the city. And to do that they need money. And that is why you're seeing a lot more strikes and protests in China now because the demands of workers are getting higher and they're more willing to stand up for themselves."
It's a trend not lost on Beijing, which has identified migrant workers, as one of the challenges to stability in the country.
For 24-year-old migrant worker Wang Long, the future is cloudy.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 24-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT WORKER, WANG LONG, SAYING:
"I don't have a definite direction. I work in this factory today and the other tomorrow. What could I do if I get old? That's not good, if I cannot have a formal and stable job after my 30's. How will I raise my family in the future?"
A survey of young migrants by China's National Population and Family Planning Commission shows only 6.4 percent of them were willing to live in the countryside.
The poll surveyed migrants aged 16 to 25, the very age group that Cui Jiaojiao falls into.
(SOUNDBITE)(Mandarin) 25-YEAR-OLD FEMALE MIGRANT WORKER, CUI JIAOJIAO, SAYING:
"My most realistic dream is to have a house and car. The biggest dream for Beijing migrants is to fight for cars and houses. It's everyone's dream."
While many wage increase demands stem from inflation, it also comes from a sense of being denied their fair share of the company's profits.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 23-YEAR-OLD FACTORY WORKER FU CHENSONG, SAYING:
"Actually for the average worker, the impact of inflation on our lives is quite great. Even though our wages have been slightly increased, it is still not able to catch up with the pace of inflation and today's reality. For ordinary workers like us, we feel so helpless."
The China Labour Bulletin estimates that government-run arbitration and mediation bodies took on more than a million work disputes in 2010.
Arnold Gay, Reuters.
They're smarter, and younger. In 2009, nearly 60 percent of them were below the age of 30, according to China's statistics bureau.
The China Labour Bulletin (CLB) says that also makes these 90 million or so younger-generation workers better connected and willing to strike for better pay.
CLB spokesman Geoffrey Crothall adds many of these younger migrant workers believe manufacturers can afford bigger salaries, and have become increasingly adept at using the Internet to mobilize.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) CHINA LABOUR BULLETIN SPOKESMAN, GEOFFREY CROTHALL, SAYING:
"There's often a lot more pressure on them to succeed than their parents. They're not going to go back to the village and add an extra storey to the family farmhouse. They want to build a life for themselves in the city. And to do that they need money. And that is why you're seeing a lot more strikes and protests in China now because the demands of workers are getting higher and they're more willing to stand up for themselves."
It's a trend not lost on Beijing, which has identified migrant workers, as one of the challenges to stability in the country.
For 24-year-old migrant worker Wang Long, the future is cloudy.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 24-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT WORKER, WANG LONG, SAYING:
"I don't have a definite direction. I work in this factory today and the other tomorrow. What could I do if I get old? That's not good, if I cannot have a formal and stable job after my 30's. How will I raise my family in the future?"
A survey of young migrants by China's National Population and Family Planning Commission shows only 6.4 percent of them were willing to live in the countryside.
The poll surveyed migrants aged 16 to 25, the very age group that Cui Jiaojiao falls into.
(SOUNDBITE)(Mandarin) 25-YEAR-OLD FEMALE MIGRANT WORKER, CUI JIAOJIAO, SAYING:
"My most realistic dream is to have a house and car. The biggest dream for Beijing migrants is to fight for cars and houses. It's everyone's dream."
While many wage increase demands stem from inflation, it also comes from a sense of being denied their fair share of the company's profits.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 23-YEAR-OLD FACTORY WORKER FU CHENSONG, SAYING:
"Actually for the average worker, the impact of inflation on our lives is quite great. Even though our wages have been slightly increased, it is still not able to catch up with the pace of inflation and today's reality. For ordinary workers like us, we feel so helpless."
The China Labour Bulletin estimates that government-run arbitration and mediation bodies took on more than a million work disputes in 2010.
Arnold Gay, Reuters.
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