Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, February 16th Title: National People's Congress representative Zhou Pei: Promote the transformation of migrant workers to high-quality industrial workers

Xinhua News Agency reporter Bai Lin

"Most migrant workers work in labor-intensive industries, but rarely participate in vocational skills training, and have less contact with new technologies and new business formats, making it increasingly difficult to adapt to the development needs of modern industries." Zhou Pei, a member of the National People's Congress and deputy manager of the Labor Company of Dayuan Jianye Group Co., Ltd., has been paying attention to the protection of the rights and interests of migrant workers and promoting the transformation of migrant workers to high-quality industrial workers.

Zhou Pei, 59 years old this year, is a carpenter. In 1995, he joined Dayuan Jianye Group Co., Ltd., and because of his outstanding work performance, he won the honors of Cangzhou Top Ten Craftsmen, National Construction and Decoration Industry Technical Expert, and National May 1st Labor Medal. In 2023, Zhou Pei was elected as a representative of the 14th National People's Congress.

Zhou Pei (right) guides the workers on the project site. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

"I like to chat with my colleagues and then write down their difficulties in my notebook. Some workers reported unstable wages and no insurance; some older workers complained that they could not find a formal construction company, but worked hard for a year but could not get the money..." Zhou Pei said that in 2023, he was sent to a labor service company under the group to recruit construction workers, so he met more migrant workers' brothers, and the notebook was getting thicker and thicker.

In 2024, Zhou Pei visited all the company's projects under construction, looking at drawings, setting plans, visiting workers, and busy with training. "Cultivate workers in their own industries", "Guide the transformation and development of labor enterprises", "Strengthen the training of high-quality and high-skilled industrial workers", "Enhance the sense of belonging of construction workers"... Zhou Pei's notebook records good "ideas" to promote the transformation of migrant workers, and hopes to be implemented one by one in his work.

Zhou Pei is preparing for the training course. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

"I suggest that when the group recruits migrant workers, they will change from temporary workers in the past to long-term contract workers." Zhou Pei said, "In this way, workers will work and make money when they have work; when they are not working, they will go to the Dayuan Vocational Training School under the group to participate in training to comprehensively improve their skills. Through continuous learning, many workers have gradually become technical talents needed for the modern construction industry, and the company's efficiency has also been improved."

At present, Dayuan Vocational Training School trains about 10,000 talents in the construction industry every year, and many "technical experts in the construction industry in Hebei Province" and "Youth Job Experts in Hebei Province" have emerged. Zhou Pei also led his apprentices step by step with other business backbones of the company to improve the practical level of young workers. One of them was a steel bar worker apprentice named Liu Zhenli, and he also won the honorary title of "National Outstanding Migrant Worker".

During the investigation, Zhou Pei and his migrant workers ate and lived together, watched the construction site, learned enterprise management, brought some good experiences and practices back to the enterprise, and popularized them with their peers. Since performing his duties, many suggestions he submitted have been filled with concern for the migrant workers and his enthusiasm for the high-quality development of the construction industry.

In recent years, Zhou Pei has paid more attention to the vocational education of migrant workers. Under his suggestion, Dayuan Vocational Training School has opened professional practical courses such as BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology and first-level construction engineers to improve the professional and technical level of workers and explore the path of enterprises to build their own team of blue-collar technical workers.

Inside the project department, Zhou Pei (second from right) and staff discussed the precautions for engineering operations. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

"I found that although many workers focus on learning technology, they do not seek excellence. They just need to learn to be able." Zhou Pei, who was born as a migrant worker, does not forget his original intention and hopes that construction workers on the road to transformation can keep learning, hone their skills, and improve themselves.

To this end, Zhou Pei Plan proposed to carry forward the spirit of craftsmen in a great country to promote the transformation of migrant workers at this year's National People's Congress. "We must pursue excellence and meticulousness, vigorously promote the spirit of model workers, labor spirit, and craftsman spirit, and help migrant workers transform into construction industry workers in the new era."

[Reporter's Notes]

Zhou Pei is not a person who is good at expressing himself, but a very "axial" person. He will never give in if he fails to meet the "perfect" standard. For decades, he has been promoting the spirit of craftsmanship to his colleagues and helping them improve their skills. When he talked to his colleagues about some cutting-edge technologies in the construction field, some of them occasionally said in confusion: "What's the use?" Zhou Peihui explained patiently: "As a part of this industry, even if we understand some fur, we will be helpful in our future work."

He had a long talk with his colleagues, never hiding it, and always sharing the most practical technologies with them. He hopes that everyone can have more technology and keep their jobs firmer. From a small carpenter who pursues excellence to a National People's Congress representative who explores the transformation of migrant workers, Zhou Pei is committed to promoting migrant workers to transform into technical workers in the construction industry, so that their work is more dignified, their lives are more secure, and their industrial development is more driven.