China's capital Beijing has opened 200 rooms at workplaces for working mothers to breast-feed their babies.
The Beijing Federation of Trade Unions announced that 200 rooms were only the first phase of its plans.
A second phase of providing mothers' rooms was already underway, and eventually the union hopes to provide upto 1,000 rooms within three years, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
A survey two months ago by the China Social Assistance Foundation found that only seven per cent of working mothers were still breastfeeding and had access to a mothers' room at workplaces.
The survey found 53 per cent of working mothers using temporary places, such as offices, storage rooms or conference rooms, while 47 per cent using a toilet to pump breast milk to their babies.
All the women in the survey said they found it very difficult to find such room in public premises.
The federation said it had found that an increasing number of mothers were breastfeeding their babies but working mothers who continued to nurse their children did not have suitable places.
The federation has requested that all trade unions consider providing a place that is private and clean which can be used as a mothers' room.
It should have at least two tables, two chairs a power socket and a refrigerator.
It has asked all companies that have meet these mothers' room requirements to apply to be part of its online project.
All these companies will receive an official mothers' room plaque, plus curtains, a magazine display rack, and complimentary supplies of wet swipes, the report said.
