Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Seeing more and more workers in the workshop clamoring not to go to the warehouse to work as porters, the director realized that this was the perfect opportunity to force those slackers out of the steel rolling mill.

He slammed his hand on the table in front of him and yelled at the top of his lungs, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to rebel? Shut up, all of you..."

"This is a factory decision. As long as you are still employees of the steel rolling mill, everyone must comply unconditionally, otherwise it will be a violation of factory rules and regulations..."

"Should I explain to everyone what the disciplinary actions are for violating factory rules and regulations...?"

The troublesome employee who spoke first immediately chimed in: "Director..."

“We only earn a few dozen yuan a month, not even enough to eat, and they still make us work as porters. Aren’t they trying to kill us?”

“I can work as a warehouse worker, but the factory must raise our wages.”

"Yes... a raise..."

"Our wages are too low right now. We won't work as warehouse workers unless we get a raise..."

"With strict attendance checks and being forced to do manual labor, the factory is trying to kill us..."

"We absolutely cannot compromise."

"The steel rolling mill belongs to us workers, not to those leaders. We can't let them stand above us and act as our accomplices..."

Seeing the workshop bustling with activity again, the foreman could only slam his fist on the table and shout once more, "Shut up, all of you..."

"Raising wages isn't something I, as the workshop director, can decide."

"If you're so capable, go find the factory leaders. Otherwise, don't make a fuss in front of me."

"Now that the factory has made a decision and even broadcasted the notice to everyone, all workers in Workshop 1 must strictly abide by these new rules and regulations starting today."

"Except for some necessary special circumstances, no one is allowed to be late or leave early, and those who want to ask for leave must write a leave request."

"Tomorrow morning after you arrive at work, all skilled workers below level three and regular employees in the workshop, please assemble at the workshop entrance. I will personally lead you to the warehouse to work as porters..."

"I know exactly how many qualified people there are in our workshop, and I'll take attendance one by one tomorrow morning..."

"If anyone refuses to follow the factory's rules and regulations, then I'm sorry, according to the factory rules and regulations, their entire wage for that day will definitely be deducted."

“Then I’ll just stay home and rest for a day, and not come to work. Anyway, I won’t get paid…” a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.

The director knew his employees very well, and upon hearing the voice, his gaze immediately focused on a seasoned veteran. He frowned, his face contorted with anger, and said, "Chen Jiaxing, what nonsense are you spouting…"

"If you don't want to come to work, don't encourage others to do so..."

"Don't forget that our steel rolling mill also has very strict rules for people who don't come to work."

"Anyone who deliberately skips work for more than ten days in a month without a valid reason can be dismissed by the factory according to factory rules and regulations..."

"If anyone wants to be fired from the steel rolling mill, they can skip work as much as they want tomorrow..."

"Expel me if you want..." Another mocking voice rang out from the crowd.

"A monthly salary of just over thirty yuan, and they expect us to get off work regular hours every day as warehouse movers... Don't the factory leaders have any shame..."

"If I really have to work myself to death in a steel rolling mill every day, I might as well go work outside and earn at least sixty or seventy yuan a month."

The director had been waiting for these words, and immediately looked at the young man who had just mocked him: "Luo Wenfeng..."

“If you think working at the steel rolling mill isn’t worth it, then go to the personnel department and resign yourself. Don’t spread rumors and incite other workers.” “You don’t have any family burdens, so you can leave whenever you want. Even if you don’t go out to earn money for six months, you won’t go hungry.”

"But there are still many workers in our workshop whose families are in financial difficulty. They have no food to eat if they leave the steel rolling mill."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to the other workers and continued, "I know that many of you share the same thoughts as Luo Wenfeng..."

"If you feel that working in the steel rolling mill is too tiring, too hard, and not worth it, you can leave without hesitation. I guarantee that the steel rolling mill will not keep you."

…………

The next morning, several workers did indeed not come to work.

Many of the regular employees and junior skilled workers who came to work also had the idea of ​​"let's wait and see" or "wait and see".

Perhaps the steel mill's strict attendance checks and making them work as warehouse porters are just temporary policies that will be lifted in a few days, at which point they can go back to loafing around in the workshop.

They will soon regret their choice today.

Today, only two junior technicians and regular employees from the workshops went to the warehouse to work as porters.

The factory leaders had given advance notice to the two workshop directors that this high-intensity work would continue for at least a month, with the aim of forcing out those employees in the workshops who liked to slack off.

The workshop that first forces thirty workers to leave will be relieved of their warehouse work as porters, and a regular worker from another workshop will be replaced to continue working as a porter.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, with an hour and a half left before the end of the workday, more than a dozen employees were already so tired that they could not straighten their backs.

They had been slacking off in the workshop for too long and hadn't done such strenuous work in a long time; it was hard not to be exhausted.

"I quit, I quit..." An employee who was used to being pampered threw his gloves on the ground, cursed, and walked out of the warehouse.

"This kind of hard work only earns one yuan a day. If you went outside, you could earn at least two yuan doing this kind of hard work..."

The workshop foreman stood directly in front of the employee and retorted, "Chen Tianguo...you'd better think this through..."

"If you leave now, you'll not only regress sooner or later, but you'll also be labeled as someone who disobeys orders, and all your work today will be for nothing."

Chen Tianguo was truly exhausted today, and the thought of having to come to the warehouse again as a porter tomorrow made him furious.

Provoked by the workshop foreman, he made a rash decision: "Fine, I'll just quit..."

"Go to the HR department now to complete your resignation procedures..."

"I quit..."

"It's just a secure job... I don't believe I can't survive without the steel mill."

All beginnings are hard.

The factory leaders assigned each workshop a quota of 30 people to be forced to leave, and the workshop directors were under the most pressure.

To complete the mission, the most important thing is to have someone who can break the deadlock.

As soon as one person resigns, those who are dissatisfied with the steel rolling mill's attendance system will resign one after another.

The director was surprised by the sudden turn of events; after just one day of working as porters, some people couldn't bear the hardship and resigned.

Now that the first worker has voluntarily resigned, the second and third won't be far behind. (End of Chapter)