No discrimination against Hubei people

With Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, now open to passenger traffic, millions will hit the road, either on their way back to work, or on job-hunting trips.

After being in lockdown for 76 days, getting back to work is the overriding priority for them. But for those who are migrant workers, many being their family's sole bread-earner, finding a job may prove difficult.

With the novel coronavirus pandemic prompting stay-at-home instructions overseas, export-oriented Chinese companies have lost orders en masse, and some companies have gone belly up.

But while that is force majeure, it is not when employers discriminate against workers of Hubei origins.

There are increasing incidences of workers being denied a job, even dismissed just because of their Hubei identity.

This is unacceptable, and it must come to an immediate end.

Many of those who are now greeting Hubei jobseekers with a cold shoulder probably participated in earlier choruses of "Stay strong, Hubei". They no doubt decry the stigmatizing of China and the Chinese people by foreigners.

They hate being discriminated against. But they feel no shame doing exactly that to their own compatriots.

That is hypocrisy.

The virus can be lethal to certain demographic groups. So the authorities keep reminding people to stay alert. But that does not justify discrimination toward people from Hubei.

Hubei used to carry a high-risk label at the peak of the pandemic. That was why the lockdown was ordered. But the lockdown has been lifted because scientific evidence indicates the risk level has been lowered enough for the flow of people to be resumed.

There is also careful medical screening in place to make sure everyone leaving the province has a clean bill of health. And as an additional precaution there is also mandatory quarantining upon arrival.

With such prudence, no person from Hubei has more infectious potential than anyone else. Not to mention most of the newly reported infections have actually been from outside Hubei, indeed from outside the country.

If common sense, human decencies and government appeals do not prompt an end to the discrimination, the law must.

From the Constitution to the Labor Law, Labor Contract Law and Employment Promotion Law, there are stipulations promising employment equity and non-discrimination. Instead of offering jurisprudential lip service, they must bite when they need to.

The people of Hubei have endured tremendous ordeals in order to prevent the pandemic from doing greater harm to the rest of the country. Those who have benefited from their sacrifices should not add insult to their injury.