About 35 percent of Chinese migrant construction workers have joined trade unions, a step forward toward securing migrant workers' rights, according to Li Changchun, a spokesman for the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Of the 40 million migrant construction workers in China, about 30 percent or more than 11 million, have joined the local trade unions, Li said.

"The migrant workers are less educated and therefore their rights are more easily infringed upon," he said.

"As members of trade unions, migrant workers can better protect their rights such as ensuring that they get paid on time, and are covered by work safety insurance," Li added.

(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2005)