Chinese women complain of restrictions in having second child

The implementation of China’s two-child policy from this month is facing difficulties when many working women complained of restrictions imposed by their employers in having second baby fearing staff shortage.

Liu Qian, a 31-year-old bank teller, is eligible to have a second child, but she has to wait because of the unwritten rules of her employer.

“We planned to have a second child after becoming eligible, but when I submitted an application, I was disappointed by the rules of our bank,” Liu was quoted as saying by Qilu Evening News.

All Chinese couples have been allowed to have two children since January 1 after the national legislature amended the over three-decade-old controversial one-child per couple family planning policy.

“According to the unwritten rules of our bank, those who want to have a second child must give way to those having a first child,” she said.

“I am allowed to have a second child in 2018, according to our bank’s rules,” said Liu.

“If I can’t get pregnant within half a year, then I have to wait for the next round,” said Liu.

Liu is not alone. A woman surnamed Zheng in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin province, said she was told to submit an application one year before she wants to have a child, and then the company will make a timetable for those employees who want to have children in case several employees get pregnant within one year.

“Making a timetable for employees who want to have a child is understandable,” said Yu Wei, who manages a laundry shop in Jinan, capital of Shandong.

“Half of my employees are female and 20 per cent of them want to have a second child,” said Yu, adding that if several employees get pregnant within one year, it will be fatal to his business.

Chen Ruifu, a lawyer at Qilu Law Firm, said employers should talk to employees to see if they can reach an agreement over the timing of having a child.

“It’s illegal to meddle in women’s reproductive rights. Employers who fine employees for disobeying company rules about having a child violate the national law,” Chen said.

The Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women prohibits employers from imposing 

restrictions on female employees’ marriage and reproduction.

China has scrapped one child policy as the world’s most populated nation faced demographic crisis with the rapid growth of the old age population.

While previous surveys pointed to lukewarm response to the two child policy, a later survey said nearly seven out of 10 unmarried people in an online survey by a large dating website said they want two children.

Previous surveys by the official media said most of over 90 million eligible couples were reluctant to have second child fearing economic burden.