Protests are soaring, as China’s workers demand their wages

“Whether you’ve got money or not, do go home for lunar new year.” So goes a sentimental Chinese pop song. This year’s Spring Festival, as the occasion is also known, begins on February 10th. In recent weeks millions of China’s migrant workers, who spend most of the year toiling in cities, have been travelling back to their villages to celebrate with their families. Some are returning with hard-earned cash, which they might stuff into red envelopes (per tradition) and give to their children. Others, though, are coming home empty-handed—not because they are lazy, but because they have not been paid.