Address on current economy

Third, we need to ensure that workers' income will increase along with the growth of the economy and productivity. Social security should remove misgivings, but social security alone is not enough. There is the issue of workers' income. The Twelfth Five-year Plan calls for doubling workers' income in step with GDP growth. Workers' income should grow along with growth of the economy and productivity.

Of course, what is on top of our mind is ordinary workers. The average minimum wage was raised by 18% in 24 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government this year, which has put pressure on enterprises and affected their export competitiveness. But we have to make this hard choice because ultimately, our goal is to achieve common prosperity for the people. Rural migrant workers are also very much on our mind. I am so happy to learn that one million rural migrant workers have joined trade unions. They have made huge contribution to cities, and cities can't do without them. A big city cannot function without various services. We need both surgeons and waiters, for instance. We should respect people of all professions. There are 260 million rural migrant workers in China. Some of them are doing seasonal and transient work. The government and trade unions should take actions to help them settle down in cities and enable them to enjoy what they do, and become truly integrated into urban life and enjoy their due rights.

Here, I want to stress in particular that Party committees and governments at all levels must attach great importance to the work of trade unions. In particular, we should provide more care for model workers, and support and help trade unions in their work related to model workers. A country must have a strong driving force and model workers are pace-setters we should emulate. Model workers are from all walks of life, and they are champions in their professions, and all the people should be like them. We should also improve the mechanism of joint meetings between the government and trade unions. As this mechanism is already in place, we must make it work. This mechanism will enable us to learn more about what workers, especially ordinary workers, want. We also need to promote democratic management of enterprises and make employees' representative conference play its due role.