Xinjiang workers begin their new life

Some of the 489 workers from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region prepare to board a chartered train recently as they set off for Guangdong province to start new jobs. Huang Guobao / Xinhua

Yumerjan Erken arrived at Guangzhou Railway Station on Friday after a 50-hour trip from chilly Urumqi, in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to find the southern city still basking in summer heat.

He is one of 489 people who traveled from Xinjiang on a chartered train to take up jobs with companies in Guangzhou, Huizhou, Foshan and Dongguan in Guangdong province under a workforce transfer program. They will all have to cope with a lot more than a change in the weather.

Yumerjan Erken was a farmer in his hometown in Shufu county, but he will now work with his wife, Nurbiya Yusup, at Guangzhou Fengli Tire and Rubber.

The couple and 44 other people from Xinjiang are taking up positions at the company in areas such as quality inspection and equipment control, said manager Huang Xiao.

The company has used government subsidies to renovate the kitchens at its premises, hire cooks from Xinjiang, source halal mutton and chicken, which adheres to the dietary restrictions of Islamic law, and allocate dormitories to the newcomers.

Key employees have attended training sessions on Xinjiang, learning about the region's ethnic and religious makeup to assist communication with the new arrivals.

The Xinjiang workers, who are between the ages of 17 and 30, received training in Mandarin, the law, corporate rules and religious policies, said Cheng Peng, deputy director of Shufu's human resources and social security bureau.

"Their jobs in Guangdong will greatly improve the financial situation of their families," he said. "The workers will receive on-the-job training and continue to learn Mandarin."

Yumerjan Erken said he is anxious about the language and lifestyle challenges he faces, but wants to improve his skills and boost the income of his family of seven. He may eventually bring his child to Guangzhou to attend school.

The transfer of workers is the largest organized so far by the Xinjiang and Guangdong governments.

Lin Yingwu, director of Guangdong's human resources department, said the initiative would help to build up know-how that would be valuable in future larger-scale transfers of workers.

Six employers have provided jobs. Lin said the government selected well-run companies that offer attractive benefits and a good working environment, and set guidelines for them. Some of the companies have enrolled the new workers' children at their kindergartens.

Lin urged the newcomers to accept Guangdong as their second hometown.

President Xi Jinping said boosting employment is a top priority for Xinjiang at a conference in May.

Guangdong's government plans to transfer 5,000 workers from Xinjiang to the province over the next three years. So far, more than 1,000 have made the move this year.

Yang Jun, deputy general manager of Guangzhou Vanlead Group, Guangzhou Fengli's parent company, said the tire maker is aiming to boost its annual output from 3.5 billion yuan ($573 million) last year to 20 billion in 2020. To achieve this, it will needs human resources support and a diversified workforce, he added.