Migrant workers heading back

Happier days in Dongguan
by Getty Images via DaylifeMany are trying to make sense out of what the global economic crisis is going to mean for China, but the signals sound increasingly troublesome. AllRoadsleadtoChina is leaning on the gloomy side now and Danwei reports about migrant workers moving massively back to Sichuan, translating information from the Chongqing Daily.

The workers told the newspaper that they all worked in a plastic factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Recently, their boss suddenly disappeared, taking all the factory's money with him. The workers decided to go home without being paid. They found ten discarded motorcycles in the factory and refashioned them into these three-wheeled mobile homes.
When the riders were stopped by Chongqing traffic police on an expressway yesterday, they had been on the road for ten days. Of the ten bikes they started out with, only three are still with them. The remainder were discarded along the road due to mechanical problems.
The traffic police, who at first intended to confiscate the vehicles, eventually changed their mind and decided to let them go. The Sichuan riders hit the road again after the police took their cooking gas canisters, which were regarded as too dangerous.

We might see more of these stories in the coming month, as China is heading for the Chinese New Year at the end of January, when migrant workers traditionally bring back their hard-earned money. That might lead to more problems in the months to come.
More at Danwei, including pictures.

Commercial
Leading voices at the China Speakers Bureau can help you to make sense out of the country's developments right now. Do let us know if you need their help.

Danwei's Jeremy Goldkorn
by Fons1 via Flickr

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chinese job losses prompt exodus
• Nerf factory riot in China
• Recession comes to China
• China fires 12 officials for misuse of aid funds