All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) said Saturday it had allocated 2 million yuan (about US$303,000) to relief efforts in Guizhou and Hunan provinces, where days of snow and icy rain have disrupted people's lives.

Freezing weather in south China has forced the evacuation of at least 58,000 people from their homes over the past week, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The hardest hit has been Guizhou and Hunan, which will continue to experience the inclement weather over the next three days, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said Saturday.

The ACFTU urged local trade unions to work closely with governments and related departments to minimize the impact of the bad weather on people's life.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2011)