Coach buses carrying more than 230 passengers left Foshan, Guangdong province, for destinations in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province, on Jan 9.

The passengers on board were the first batch of migrant workers to be transported to their hometowns for free on buses provided by the Foshan government for the Spring Festival holiday, which officially begins on Jan 21.

According to the Foshan City Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, related departments and companies will organize more buses and trains to help transport the huge number of migrant workers in the city back home to spend time with their families during China's biggest holiday.

Yang Chuncan, one of the workers being transported, said he was happy to take the free trip home as it was difficult to purchase a train or coach ticket during the Spring Festival travel rush period.

"The free coach service has been very useful in helping migrant workers go home," he said.

Wang Shihui, another migrant worker, praised the generosity shown by the city government.

"I was also given some anti-COVID-19 materials on the bus, including face masks and disinfection spray," he said.

Earlier this month, Foshan government agencies began working with their counterparts in Qiandongnan as well as in Chenzhou, Hunan province, to arrange for buses and trains to take the workers to their hometowns and return them to Foshan after the holiday.

Foshan, one of the major production bases in the world, is aiming to further strengthen labor cooperation agreements with inland provinces and regions.

The city organized 24 job fairs in Qiandongnan last year, offering more than 27,000 jobs to local residents, authorities said.

To encourage the migrant workers to return to Foshan after the festival, city departments will organize trains and at least 10 coaches to transport them back to their workplaces in the city.

In addition, more than 10 job fairs offering more than 20,000 jobs will also be held in Foshan to help local companies recruit workers in February, authorities said.

Foshan is not alone in its efforts. Dongguan in Guangdong is also helping facilitate transportation for its workers, hoping to persuade them to return after the festival.

Dongguan's Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security has planned to allocate more than 25 million yuan ($3.68 million) in subsidies to help local companies send migrant workers home for the holiday and transport them back afterward.

The bureau has also sent teams to various places, including Ji'an in Jiangxi province, Nyingchi in the Tibet autonomous region and Yajiang in Sichuan province to boost labor cooperation and attract workers from those areas to Dongguan.

Dongguan authorities said more than 40 job fairs will be held to recruit workers from Jan 30 to the end of March.

[email protected]