Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Seeing Director Yang nodded thoughtfully, Deputy Director Zhou continued speaking.

“I have learned a little bit about this…”

"In those private steel mills, the production capacity of one level six fitter is equivalent to the production capacity of two level six fitters in the steel mill. How can we compare with them?"

"In addition, in order to ease the employment pressure in the city in the past few years, each production workshop has recruited a large number of apprentices..."

"The work that could be done by one person before is now divided among three apprentices..."

"Many workers finish their entire day's production tasks within two or three hours of work, and spend the rest of the time chatting and bragging with their coworkers."

"There are even many workers who deliberately slack off in the workshop. They drag out a job that can be completed in two or three hours to five or six hours..."

"With such a huge calendar cost, how can I reduce the cost?"

"besides……"

"Many of the apprentices we recruited earlier have already started to become regular employees..."

"The production capacity of the steel rolling mill is limited, and the existing skilled workers can fully meet the needs of the factory. There is almost no need to add more skilled workers."

"So those who have been converted to regular employees basically work as apprentices in various workshops, but they only get 20 to 30 yuan a month."

"I roughly calculated..."

"In a production workshop with more than 100 people, there are only 50 to 60 skilled workers who actually do the work, and the remaining 60 to 70 people are all apprentices and regular workers who are just helping out or slacking off."

"It has no other meaning except to hinder our progress and increase our production costs."

"Director, if you have the courage to fire half of the apprentices and regular workers, I will reduce my production costs by 20%."

The deputy factory manager in charge of finances immediately took over the call...

"Director..."

"Old Zhou said it well."

"Although the wages paid by the steel mill to apprentices and regular workers are not high, only 18 and 27 yuan per month."

"But they are so many..."

"Because of the expansion in the past few years, the total number of apprentices in the entire steel rolling mill is more than 2,400, almost 2,500."

"There are even more regular employees who have been converted to full-time employees, a total of more than 3,000 people..."

"We have to pay them 130,000 yuan in salary every month."

"If the factory can really lay off half of its apprentices and regular workers, I can pay out 60,000 to 70,000 yuan less in wages every month."

“Perhaps the steel mill can turn from loss-making to profitable.”

"In addition to the production workshops, there are also a large number of slacking workers in various logistics departments."

"For example, the purchasing department..."

"Before, the city implemented a bill system, and many things were not available for purchase. We had to set up a purchasing department and let buyers go to the countryside to purchase various materials that were urgently needed in the factory to ensure the production of the steel rolling mill."

"Now the city has abolished the bill system. As long as you have money, you can buy anything. The more than 20 purchasers in the purchasing department read newspapers, play cards, and drink tea in the office every day. They don't have to do anything, but they can get a salary of 34 yuan every month..."

"Is this a complete waste of the steel mill's money?"

Seeing Director Yang's frown getting deeper and deeper, the deputy director in charge of finance decisively shut his mouth.

He had said what he needed to say, but it was too difficult to fire a worker in a steel mill.

In other people's words, as long as you are a regular employee at the steel mill, you have a stable job. Without a proper reason, Director Yang cannot fire you. So no matter how much he talks about the problem of overstaffing at the steel mill, it is useless.

If Director Yang cannot make up his mind or find a way to lay off some people, no one can change the steel mill's current predicament.

As expected, just after he finished speaking, the deputy director in charge of personnel spoke up: "You said it lightly..."

"Our steel mill is a state-owned factory, and the workers have stable jobs. As long as they don't make any mistakes, even the factory director himself can't fire them."

"I think we should just forget about this matter..."

"Let's first think of a way to reduce our production costs and save some expenses through other channels..."

Just when everyone was frustrated and racking their brains to think of no solution, Director Yang suddenly interrupted: "There is no reason. They didn't make any mistakes. We really can't fire the workers in the factory..."

"But we can find a way to force them to resign voluntarily..."

"I have an idea. Let's discuss it together. If it's feasible, we can make a resolution and implement it immediately..."

Several deputy factory managers all had expectant expressions on their faces.

If the steel mill is unable to make ends meet in the future, the factory director and deputy factory director will be in trouble.

So everyone wants to solve the plight of the steel mill and make it survive longer, so as to maintain their current status and income.

Otherwise, without the steel rolling mill, no one knows where these factory leaders will be assigned by their superiors.

Director Yang did not keep everyone waiting for too long and directly expressed his thoughts: "From now on, the steel rolling mill will no longer accept any permanent employees."

"That is to say, if the apprentices who have not yet been regularized want to continue working in the steel mill, they must be prepared to be apprentices for life."

"If you don't want to stay in the steel mill any longer, then resign from the steel mill yourself."

"The prices in the city are getting higher and higher now, and the food coupons we used to have are gone."

“Everything costs money.”

"Eighteen yuan for an apprentice is only enough for two people to survive in the city."

"I believe that once this policy comes out, many apprentices who want to earn high wages will choose to resign."

"After all, washing dishes in a private restaurant can earn more than 20 yuan a month."

"Regular workers who have been converted to regular employees will not be required to take any more grading tests in principle, and will continue to work as apprentices. If they cannot accept this, they can resign on their own initiative."

"Third...if anyone inherits the position of a regular worker in the steel mill, he can only start as an apprentice, and can only be an apprentice for life."

"As for the procurement department under the logistics department..."

"There is really no need for them to continue to exist."

"But the buyers are all regular employees, so directly firing them is definitely not an option..."

"The head of the logistics department will arrange for someone to clean up the mess. Make a list of the extra personnel in the logistics department and send them all to the workshop to work as laborers."

"If you are willing to work, you can continue to receive your salary from the steel mill. If you are not willing to work, you can resign voluntarily..."

"From now on, the steel mill will not keep idlers."

"What if it's a cadre?" the deputy director in charge of personnel spoke again.

Director Yang thought for a moment and replied, "I remember that many grassroots cadres in the steel rolling mill were transferred from workers to cadres. You are responsible for examining their work performance after becoming cadres. Those who are capable will continue to be cadres, and those who are not capable will return to their original jobs and continue to be workers..." (End of this chapter)