A construction worker's pathway to China's top legislature

BEIJING, March 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Beijing Review:

Five years ago, when Zou Bin first spoke to the media as a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), he was nervous. Standing in front of journalists at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the venue for the full sessions of the NPC, China's top legislature, the then 23-year-old felt overwhelmed by the situation and the responsibility.

This year, Zou, reelected to serve from 2023 to 2028, is much more poised and confident.

"I will continue to be a voice for all frontline construction workers, helping to address their concerns and improve their work and life," Zou told Beijing Review.

Born into a family of construction workers in a village in Xinhua County, Hunan Province, Zou began working as an apprentice bricklayer 200 km away in Changsha, the provincial capital.

Despite the daily pain from his physical exertions, Zou persisted in perfecting his skills. In two years, Zou became a fully qualified bricklayer and reached the first major turning point of his life.

In April 2014, when working at a construction site of China Construction Fifth Engineering Division Corp. in Changsha, Zou's employer asked if he was willing to participate in a worker skills competition held by the company. Zou took the offer and ended up winning first place in his age group. In July that year, he entered and won a national skills competition and then began receiving national training in preparation for international competitions.

In 2015, Zou won a Medallion for Excellence in bricklaying at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition, held in Brazil, setting a record for China in this field.

"Winning the world competition changed not only my life, but also my attitude toward my career and bricklaying," Zou said.

When he returned to work, Zou was recruited as a construction quality controller for China Construction Fifth Engineering Division Corp. In the following years, he received several national awards, including the China Youth May Fourth Medal—the top honor for outstanding young Chinese people.

Zou was also given the chance to share his skills and his stories with his colleagues and other people across the country at various seminars, inspiring more workers to improve their skills and become craftspeople.

People's congresses exist at township, county, city, provincial and national levels. According to China's Constitution and the Electoral Law, deputies to the people's congresses at township and county-levels are directly elected by their constituencies, while deputies to people's congresses of higher levels are elected by the people's congresses at the next level down.

The NPC is composed of deputies elected from the provinces, autonomous regions, cities directly under central government jurisdiction, special administrative regions and armed forces.

In 2018, the Hunan Provincial People's Congress elected Zou to represent the province at the 13th NPC. NPC deputies, who serve five-year terms, represent a broad cross-section of their communities, and steps are taken to ensure each region, background and ethnicity are adequately represented. In his first term, Zou was one of the youngest among the more than 100 deputies representing Hunan at the NPC.

"What should I do to help migrant workers nationwide?" is a question Zou has often contemplated as an NPC deputy. To gain insights into the opinions and concerns of rural construction workers, he has visited many regions around the country to consult with them.

"From our talks, I have found that workers' desire for professional training is increasing, as they are becoming less contented with being mediocre and are looking for opportunities to grow in their careers," Zou said. With this in mind, he has made suggestions to the NPC on increasing vocational training and holding more competitions for workers, which are platforms for them to demonstrate their skills and gain professional recognition.

Zou has also been making suggestions related to the wellbeing of migrant workers, many of whom are flexible employees, such as improving their income and insurance, work environment and safety, as well as their recognition by society. 

Now at the start of his new term, Zou says his suggestions for this year's NPC session also focus on the cultivation of high-caliber construction workers. He believes that government, industry and educational institutions should join hands in this endeavor.

"This is an era in which everyone has the opportunity to shine," he said.

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SOURCE Beijing Review