Since China has entered the dog days of summer, also known as Sanfu days (three periods of the hottest seasons every day), a heat wave has arrived in places including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Xi'an. The national observatory issued the orange high-temperature alert at 6 a.m. July 25 (Beijing time), estimating highs from 37℃ to 40℃ in different regions. The high temperature in many places broke the records of the recent decades.
Yesterday a Christian from eastern China called for caring for sanitation workers in the hot summer on Wechat: "Let's repost a message for sanitation workers: Many sanitation workers are hospitalized after suffering sunstroke due to the intense summer heat. Many of them are elderly above 60. (Throw away less rubbish and drivers slow down) It doesn't need likes, but please forward the message! Respect senior people...let love pass on and I relay..."
Sanitation workers are praised as "yellow roses of cities", "road angels", and "city beauticians," however they work for at least eight hours per day on average under a heavy workload and rarely rest on holidays. Moreover, they have a low social status and are often discriminated against and abused in poor working conditions. Their salaries are barely higher than the local minimum wage. Accidents even happen to them sometimes. They are a group who serve cities hard but don't gain equal honor and value.
-Translated by Karen Luo
