Threat to fire employees wanting a second child is abuse of power

THE POPULATION and family planning commission in South China's Guangdong province announced on Tuesday that people who have remarried will be allowed to have a second child after a couple were put under job pressure because of pregnancy. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Wednesday:

The latest statement was made in response to a case involving a couple in the provincial capital Guangzhou who are expecting their second child. They were previously told the woman would have to have an abortion or they must resign from their jobs as punishment, because it was unclear whether the national family planning policy permitting couples to have a second child applies to couples where one or both parties have remarried.

The Guangzhou couple are not alone in such a dilemma. Many couples who want to have a second child do not know whether they are allowed to do so due to the insufficient implementation and explanation of the revised family planning policy in their cities.