Old Wu claims "I've struggled my whole life just to own a car" "Why can others drive in and out freely, but I, a cleaner, cannot drive into the factory?" Speaking of the incident where the factory blocked him from driving to work, Wu Jianguo, who works at a plastic leather goods factory in Chang'an Washa, became choked up. This man, who claims "I've fought my whole life just to own a car," bought a second-hand off-road vehicle a few days ago. Unexpectedly, the factory security, citing "executing orders from above," prohibited him from driving into the factory. The administrative supervisor of the factory, who conveyed the "ban" to the security, explained that it was to "avoid Old Wu's car being scratched while parked on the premises, leading to disputes with the factory." Wu Jianguo, however, believed that this matter was due to discrimination against his identity as a cleaner by the factory management.
Monthly salary of 2000 yuan still persists in fulfilling his dream Wu Jianguo claims he is from Yongzhou County, Hunan Province, 52 years old, served in the military for two years, and after retiring, he drove a vehicle for hire in his hometown. However, his vehicle was later robbed by bandits. In 2007, Wu Jianguo came to Dongguan to work in order to support his son's university education. Last May, he started working at Songyu Plastic Leather Goods Co., Ltd., where his ID badge shows his position as "head of sanitation team," but Old Wu said that after the factory laid off many middle-level managers in February this year, he became an ordinary cleaner. Even though his monthly salary was reduced from 2200 yuan to 2000 yuan, and another 240 yuan was deducted for living expenses as an ordinary employee, Old Wu still persisted in his dream of "owning a car of my own." Six days ago, he finally realized this dream when he withdrew over 30,000 yuan in savings to buy a second-hand domestic mini off-road vehicle.
"My wife works in another community in Chang'an, Xiamang. I can conveniently drive her to and from work!" Wu Jianguo said that after buying the car, he applied to the factory leadership for permission to park within the factory premises, citing "convenience for work, and if anyone needs it, they can borrow it," but did not receive a clear response.
Feeling discriminated against, several times he choked up Wu Jianguo recalled that the day before yesterday, when he drove to the company gate, the security refused to open the gate and let him in, citing that it was the instruction conveyed by the administrative supervisor Zhao -- ordinary employees are not allowed to drive to work.
"I went to find Supervisor Zhao, and he actually asked me to read the employee handbook, saying there were explicit regulations." Wu Jianguo said that he then really checked the employee handbook and found no relevant provisions prohibiting regular employees from driving to work.
Wu Jianguo pointed out that the managers and clients of their factory could freely drive in and out. "And there is plenty of parking space within the factory premises, so why aren't ordinary employees allowed to drive in?" Wu Jianguo felt disrespected by the factory and choked up several times while recounting his experience to the reporter.
Yesterday afternoon, Southern Metropolis Daily reporters followed Wu Jianguo to the entrance of the Songyu factory. He attempted to drive the second-hand off-road vehicle into the factory again. The security opened the automatic gate upon seeing a visiting car, but quickly realized the owner was Old Wu and hurriedly blocked the car, claiming they had to consult Supervisor Zhao before allowing entry, then asked Old Wu to reverse and closed the gate.
The security at the Songyu factory entrance subsequently told Southern Metropolis Daily reporters that they also felt embarrassed because "this issue wasn't well coordinated from above."
Southern Metropolis Daily reporters called the mobile phone of the company's administrative supervisor, Mr. Zhao, who first claimed it was enforcing a certain regulation of the company, then expressed concern that Old Wu's car might be scratched while parked on the premises, leading to disputes with the factory. Supervisor Zhao also stated that as a cleaner, the company has already treated Old Wu well, even providing him with single-occupancy accommodation, and believed Old Wu should not have too high expectations of the company.
Dialogue with Wu Jianguo Thrifty to buy a car, ordinary employees also have dreams
Reporter: Why did you decide to drive to work?
Wu Jianguo: My biggest dream in life is to own a car of my own, to drive my own car for work and life, making it convenient to go anywhere. Moreover, my wife works in Xiamang, Chang'an, and doesn't live with me normally. After having a car, I can frequently pick her up and drop her off for work.
Reporter: Have you ever driven before?
Wu Jianguo: After retiring from the military, I drove in my hometown and made money through renting out my car, but later it was stolen by bandits under the guise of renting.
Reporter: Do you have any experience in the military?
Wu Jianguo: I started serving in December 1979 for two years as a reserve soldier for the counterattack against Vietnam. Although I didn't personally go to battle, the military training has greatly influenced me, and I have always been learning from Comrade Lei Feng.
Reporter: Tell us about your stories of learning from Lei Feng!
Wu Jianguo: Around 1991, while working in my hometown, I encountered a young man with a knife attempting to kill someone, so I stepped in to stop him. Unexpectedly, the young man stabbed me, but thanks to my resistance, I managed to stop him from committing murder. My actions were reported by local media in Hunan. In 2007, while working at an electronics factory in Chongtou, Chang'an, I saw motorcyclists trying to rob a girl's bag, so I rode my bicycle to block them, scaring them into dropping the bag. Unfortunately, I and my bicycle were knocked down by them, and they took the opportunity to escape.
Reporter: How do you feel about the factory prohibiting you from driving to work?
Wu Jianguo: I think the factory should show more concern for its employees, making them feel warmth, which would give them more motivation. If I park outside the factory, I would constantly worry about whether my car will be stolen during work hours, affecting my job performance. If the factory leaders and clients can park inside, why can't they treat ordinary employees equally?
Reporter: How did you become the head of sanitation and then turn back into an ordinary cleaner in less than a year?
Wu Jianguo: When I joined the factory, I was a dormitory manager, but I treated the company like my home and worked very hard. Once, when the toilet drain was clogged, I reached in with my hands and cleared it, which our Hong Kong boss learned about. During a meeting, he praised me and encouraged everyone in the company to learn from me, and later I was promoted to the head of sanitation. However, in February this year, the factory decided to streamline personnel, laying off some managers, and I became a cleaner.
Reporter: People may wonder, how can you afford a car as a cleaner?
Wu Jianguo: My salary indeed isn't high; except for the time when I was the head of sanitation and earned over 2000 yuan per month, otherwise, it was only around 1000 yuan. But I save on food and daily expenses. My son, although still studying for his master's degree, is the only child in the family, so the burden isn't heavy. Both my wife and I work in Chang'an, and I use my spare time to ride bicycles and ferry passengers to earn extra money.
Dialogue with Supervisor
"I don't have a car and I don't hope people working outside buy cars"
Reporter: Why doesn't Old Wu's car get to park inside the factory?
Supervisor Zhao: Our factory has rules regarding this, and I am merely executing one of the company's policies.
Reporter: Can you specify which policy?
Supervisor Zhao: Only salespeople in the entire company have cars. The company is also concerned that if Old Wu parks his car inside the factory, it might be accidentally scratched by an employee, and the company wouldn't want to compensate for it.
Reporter: Isn't there a possibility that the businesspeople or even the factory owner's car could also be scratched?
Supervisor Zhao: The owner's car is safe because it is parked in his own factory. Additionally, none of our employees have cars, so every time Old Wu drives in and out of the gate, the security must routinely check his car, which isn't convenient.
Reporter: Does every car need to be inspected?
Supervisor Zhao: No, salespeople's cars or the factory's official vehicles are exempt from inspection, obviously Old Wu's car isn't on the exemption list. If it were inspected daily, Old Wu himself would find it annoying.
Reporter: Old Wu says driving to work could improve work efficiency, and leaving the car outside makes him uneasy while working.
Supervisor Zhao: Previously, when he rode a bicycle into the factory, we didn't say anything. As a cleaner, we've already done enough for him, and we even allocated him a single room for accommodation. If he asks for too much, we won't be able to meet those standards.
Reporter: Do you plan to buy a car? As a superior, how do you view cleaners driving to work?
Supervisor Zhao: I currently don't have a car, and I don't hope people working outside buy cars.
Reporter: Why?
Supervisor Zhao: If I were a cleaner, do you think it's necessary? With such a low monthly salary, buying a car for work isn't worth the fuel costs, and there are also insurance issues!
Lawyer's Opinion
The supervisor has a suspicion of discriminating against subordinates
Yang Jianjun, lawyer at Guangdong Guanghe Law Firm:
Regardless of the level, Old Wu is still an employee of the company. Whether the involved factory has rules stating private vehicles cannot enter the factory premises, or specifying which type of employees can have this privilege, looking at this event, the salesperson, as Old Wu's colleague, can drive their private car into the factory, but if the factory supervisor cannot produce corresponding regulations, then the supervisor is suspected of discriminating against lower-level positions, which is detrimental to the construction of the factory's corporate culture.
Your Words and Mine
Enterprise executive: Employee rights are equal
Wen Bin, General Assistant of a pure group in Humen:
It's a good thing that a cleaner buys a car, indicating that our country has advanced and the living standards of ordinary people have improved. There are many employees in our company who buy cars, and we have specifically allocated a large number of parking spaces for employees. Nowadays, cars are so cheap, and they are merely a means of transportation. There's no need for the supervisor of this company to take this matter too seriously. From the perspective of company management, each employee should enjoy basic rights equally, whether they are cleaners, salespeople, or supervisors.
Ordinary employee: Should treat all equally
Zhou Zhong from a plastic factory in Chang'an:
Perhaps the factory is acting out of kindness. Indeed, you, a cleaner, should just focus on doing your job. Why buy a car? We go out to work to earn money for our families, and since it's not necessary for your job, running a business requires meeting clients on time and presenting a professional image by driving, whereas a cleaner driving to work might seem awkward. However, the factory's approach seems inappropriate. Since everyone is an employee, they shouldn't favor one over the other.
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