Amid the COVID-19 prevention and control, Yunnan province has offered local migrants chartered free coaches, helping them return to work and production in the developed coastal Chinese provinces.

Qu Jing: 186 migrant workers head for Zhejiang, Guangdong

Eight chartered coaches carrying 186 migrant workers set off from Luliang County, east Yunnan’s Qujing City, heading for the coastal provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang on the morning of February 15. 

"Working outside has been the pillar of my income. During the Chinese New Year, I made plans to work out, but our returning to work was delayed by the new pneumonia,” said Guo Liqiang, a migrant worker from Majie Town. 

Guo added it is something considerate for the county government to offer them job information and chartered free coaches.

Zhaotong: Targeted coaches for migrants to go back

"Shortly after the Spring Festival, I began to think about going back to my factory, and I’m grateful to the government for helping us back to work amid the epidemic," said Ye Yunhua, a migrant worker from Yongshan County. 

Zhaotong is a major source of migrant workers, as well as a major theater for poverty alleviation in Yunnan. In Zhaotong, working in the developed coastal areas is seen as an effective way to resolve poverty. By the end of 2019, more than one million work in the coastal provinces, of whom 586,000 returned home for the 2020 Spring Festival. 

Baoshan: 133 migrants return to work

Five coaches carrying 133 migrant workers entered the Baoshan Longji Company on February 16. Coming from various towns and villages, the migrants resumed their work and production that day, while following the measures for epidemic prevention and control. 

"Due to the epidemic, I couldn’t go out for work, which made me worrisome,” said Mr. Li from Renhe Town, Shidian County. Li added local officials offered him a free physical checkup and chartered coach and he was thankful for their service. 

Dehong: 210 migrants arrive in Changxing in 48 hours 

"Ready, they're here!" 25 migrant workers from southwest Yunnan’s Dehong arrived at Tianneng Group in Changxing, east China’s Zhejiang province on February 14. They went through a long journey lasting for 48 hours.

Around 20,000 Yunnan migrants work in Zhejiang’s Changxing County. Among them, Tianneng Group employs 1,006 Yunnan workers, with 732 eager to return to work.

Chu Xiong: 327 migrants return to Fujian, Zhejiang

On February 16, 327 migrant workers from Dayao County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, boarded a coach chartered by local authorities amid the new pneumonia control. With the destinations being Zhejiang and Fujian, they will resume work there.

"I work as an assembler, with a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan,” said Li Cuifu, a villager from the Tanhua township. “Working in a developed province is a good way to shake off poverty."

Wenshan: Special shuttle coaches for migrant workers

"Great. We’ll soon return to work and get paid. It's very cold today, but I feel the warm care from our management," said Lu Chengjin on February 16. Lu, a villager from the Dehou town in Wenshan Prefecture, was on a charted coach for local migrant workers, their destination being Huizhou in Guangdong province. 

To cut the chance of infection, only half of the coach seats are taken, and during the trip, their food and schedule will be uniformly arranged, said Yang Zhengcao, an official with local human resources bureau. “On the way to Huizhou, their temperature will be taken every 4 hours.” 

So far, Wenshan has sent 1,120 migrant workers to other provinces.

Source: Yunnan Net; trans-editing by Wang Shixue