BEIJING: A chartered flight carrying more than 100 migrant workers from Yunnan province landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Saturday, marking the official launch of post-Spring Festival charter flights for returning workers.
The initiative, organized by the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, is an unprecedented effort by the city to facilitate migrant workers’ return to their jobs, officials said. The passengers were from Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture and Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture. They did not have to pay for their tickets, as the Shanghai and Yunnan governments covered the costs to help them secure transportation during the Spring Festival travel rush.
Upon arrival, shuttle buses transported workers to their respective workplaces in Shanghai’s districts of Jing’an, Hongkou and Baoshan. Yang Qingrui and his wife, who both work at a fitness equipment factory in Baoshan, were among the passengers. In previous years, they used to travel back to Shanghai by train, a journey that took more than 30 hours.
“What drives us to travel a long way to Shanghai is the desire to earn money and live a better life,” Yang said. “In the new year, our goal is to work harder so that we can better support our two children’s education and provide a happier life for our family.”
Gong Yufen and her twin 18-year-old daughters were also on board. It was the young women’s first trip to Shanghai. “I’ve worked in Shanghai for years, and I hope my girls can explore opportunities and find suitable careers in this bustling metropolis,” Gong said. During the first two weeks of Chinese New Year, Shanghai authorities will organize additional flights, trains and buses to help large numbers of workers return from labor-exporting provinces, including Anhui, Sichuan, Hunan, Henan and Gansu. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
