Job drives gain pace to ramp up production

Airport employees count migrant workers at Wuliangye Airport in Yibin, Sichuan province, on Jan 29. A total of 94 migrant workers flew to Zhongshan, Guangdong province, to return to work following the Spring Festival holiday. [PHOTO by ZHUANG GE'ER/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Guangdong companies look for skilled workers in neighboring provinces

Vehicles are busy transporting raw materials to Galanz Group's manufacturing lines, as one product after another is assembled and packed at the factory of the Chinese home appliance maker based in Shunde district of Foshan, Guangdong province.

Before resuming production on Jan 28, the manufacturing department of Galanz mobilized its production managers to carry out equipment maintenance and procure raw materials in advance.

To maintain good production momentum, Galanz launched recruitment drives in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guizhou province before the Spring Festival holiday.

The company offered more than 5,000 vacancies for skilled workers during the first round of recruitment. It also arranged transportation to help employees return to work after the Spring Festival holiday.

Production lines of Galanz's magnetron, electrical accessories, and other units have fully resumed their operations after the holiday, with increasing numbers of workers needed in the company's microwave oven, dishwasher and supporting rising units, according to the company.

"We will make efforts to promote a new round of high-quality development by boosting investment and expanding production," said Liang Zhaoxian, chairman and president of Galanz.

The expansion of the company's payroll and production is a result of increasing orders from home and abroad for high-quality Chinese appliances.

Overseas orders for Galanz's home appliances, such as microwave ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers, have become the driving force behind its business growth, according to the company.

Additionally, sales of its microwave, steam, and micro steam ovens and baking machines at flagship stores on T-mall, one of China's largest e-commerce platforms, increased by more than 40 percent year-on-year during the Spring Festival holiday.

Like Galanz, other companies in Guangdong, which is home to 42 million migrant workers, are making greater efforts to resume production after the holiday by facilitating the return of employees and looking for more workers.

In Dongguan, another manufacturing and trade hub in the province, human resources authorities have started job fairs across its 32 townships and subdistricts to help companies find skilled workers after the resumption of production.

The citywide job fairs, which also have online recruitment options, will continue till March and offer 51,700 positions in 1,087 companies.

"The human resources market is highly active, showing a promising trend of recruitment and employment," said Chen Zhiwu, director of Dongguan's human resources and social security bureau.

Of the total job positions available, 76.3 percent are being offered by local manufacturing companies, according to its human resources authorities.

From Jan 28 to Feb 20, employees starting their first job in Dongguan will be given a one-time subsidy of 1,000 yuan ($147) per person after they sign a labor contract, according to a local government notice.

"Subsidy policies in employment provided by local human resources authorities are very beneficial for manufacturing companies such as ours," said a human resources manager surnamed Liu from Guangdong Kinlong Hardware Products Co.

The Dongguan-based company is engaged in the design, research, manufacturing, and sales of construction and building accessories. It has more than 15,000 workers, most of whom have returned to work after the Spring Festival holiday.

"The employment gap has decreased compared with previous years," Liu said.

To ensure that production is not hampered by staff shortages, local human resources authorities have also strengthened cooperation with labor services outside Dongguan. They will organize 52 job drives in eight provinces, including Shaanxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Sichuan, which are major labor sources for the city.