GUANGZHOU: For the thousands of migrant workers here in Guangdong province from Sichuan province, returning home after the strongest quake to hit China in three decades is more than a matter of urgency.

"Every piece of news about the quake in my hometown scares me. I am so eager to go back," said Zheng Guoqu, a migrant worker from Beichuan county, one of the most seriously-hit areas in southwestern Sichuan.

Zheng has lost contact with family members in his hometown since the quake took place on Monday.

However, the 25-year-old, who works for a Guangzhou-based shoe factory, was told by the local labor and social security authority to stay put in his factory on Friday.

"The traffic condition in Sichuan is still too chaotic for migrant workers to go home. So far all resources have been directed to relief efforts, we hope workers from Sichuan would stay where they are at this time," said Wang Liwei, an official of Guangdong's department of labor and social security.

"We understand they may have lost contact with their family members and friends and are eager to go back, but thousands of rescuers are doing their best to save lives," he said.

The Guangdong government has worked out a series of preferential measures to offer care and support to migrant workers from Sichuan.

"For those who have lost their jobs in Guangdong, we promise to find jobs for them soon. And for factories whose workers have already returned to Sichuan, we will help them hire new workers," said Wang.

The Guangdong government has started a province-wide survey of factories to get employment information about migrant workers from Sichuan, Wang said.

Guangdong currently has more than five million migrant workers from Sichuan, accounting for nearly 20 percent of its total, according to Wang.

"If the situation in Sichuan improves, we will encourage companies to arrange for the workers to return home and allow them to retain their jobs should they choose to come back," Wang said.

In an interview with China Daily yesterday, Wang also urged local companies to offer preferential leave to workers from the quake-hit region.

"Companies are also required to strictly abide by the labor regulation and not to violate rights of migrant workers from Sichuan. If they really want to go home, companies should not withhold their salaries," Wang said.

He added several government organizations have joined hands with Nanfang Media Group to set up a 24-hour hotline (12333) to help migrant workers find their relatives and friends.

(HK Edition 05/17/2008 page1)