"Do you think you are humorous?" Li Yuanzhao's eyes were a little dull.
"Old Fang, I'm not kidding you. This level of labor intensity is definitely not something a human can endure. When I was in the medical team, I did those rough jobs before. If you continue like this, I can tell you that sooner or later there will be problems."
Fang Zhengyi did not comment: "Then your highness, do you have a solution? Just raising the problem is far from enough."
Li Yuanzhao pondered and said, "I do have some ideas. I was still thinking about how to solve it on the way here."
"I have visited more than a dozen factories these days and obtained their production records. I found that during the days when the candidates came to the factories and their working hours were shortened to cooperate with the performance, the production efficiency did not drop too much, only about 20%, and some factories even only dropped by 10%. And the data of these days is almost the same as that of the end of the month."
"What does this show? This shows that management methods have a great impact on efficiency! Simply forcing people to work may not necessarily maximize profits. When workers are well rested and in a good mood, their efficiency will be high... Then I think we can collect more data, or change the production process, and come up with a way to find a balance. This will not affect production capacity, nor will it affect the workers' rest."
Have you started studying management and data analysis?
Fang Zheng blinked and said in surprise: "Did you come up with this?"
"What else? I have been alone recently, and this was not the method I thought of at the beginning." Li Yuanzhao said.
"I'd like to hear more about it."
Li Yuanzhao recalled: "I thought that since Dongjiao University controls the lifeline of many factories, it would be better to directly issue regulations to let them give workers generous treatment."
"But over time, this is not the case. Many new factories that seem to be large-scale are actually funded by borrowing money. There is no short-term profit pressure and the factory's profitability will be affected if the regulations are imposed. On the contrary, it may allow those black factories that we cannot supervise to take advantage of the situation."
"On the other hand, I am worried that the workers will feel emboldened and ask for too much if they know that the government has full support. The factory director and the workers are a close match. If they become enemies and regard each other as bandits, in the end, both sides will suffer."
"So after much thought, I decided to start with methods and management processes."
Fang Zheng clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Your Highness, a man should be looked at with new eyes after three days of absence... You are already an extraordinary person."
"Oh? Why are you suddenly flattering me?" Li Yuanzhao laughed.
"This is not something that everyone can think of, especially when Your Highness holds great power and can decide life and death with a single word. Instead of using power, you make good use of the rules. This is great wisdom, and I admire you from the bottom of my heart." Fang Zheng said solemnly.
After saying that, he took out a stack of documents from the drawer beside him and put them on the table.
"Look, Your Highness. My people have been busy lately."
Li Yuanzhao picked up the information and looked through it carefully. He flipped through the pages one by one, and his expression gradually became surprised: "This... doesn't this coincide with my thoughts? Old Fang, you thought of this a long time ago!?"
This stack of information clearly records the production records of all factories, as well as the data comparison after the candidates entered the factory.
Fang Zheng nodded. "That's right. In fact, Dongjiao University has long been aware of the situation of illegal factories. Many factories have even started to employ child laborers to reduce costs. This time, the candidates entered the factory, so I just found an excuse and sent people to conduct a large-scale investigation."
"Why didn't you intervene earlier? Many of those black factories that exploited the market desperately depend on the railways for survival."
Fang Zhengyi sighed and said, "Your Highness, we represent the imperial court and stand at the center of the scale."
"In my eyes, there is no difference between factory directors who invest in factories and ordinary workers. Workers are tired but can get paid regardless of the weather. Factories make huge profits but also bear greater risks and competitive pressure. Right now, no one is interfering. A balance has been formed between the two. Since there is no large-scale dissatisfaction, it is best to do nothing."
"Those workers weren't that tired before. Although it looked a bit hard, it was at least easier than farming. And they got paid. You can see clothes hanging out to dry in many places on the street, which means they all have new clothes to wear and some clothes to change into."
"Besides, humans are actually the most adaptable animals. Even though the work is tiring, no animal can compare to us! Humans can survive by eating anything. If you change to an animal, if it eats the wrong thing, it will die in a matter of minutes."
Li Yuanzhao's face fell: "Do you want to listen to what you are saying? Is it human language? If so, why do you change your mind now?"
"Firstly, the collective unrest among the scholars has revealed a bad sign, and this trend must not be allowed to expand. Secondly, if we don't intervene, the competition will become more and more fierce, and those black factories will do more and more excessive things. By the time those honest people remember to fight for their own interests, they will have a lot to wait for." Fang Zheng said helplessly, holding his hand.
Li Yuanzhao was still flipping through the stack of information, and without raising his head, he asked, "So, now that you have done such a thorough investigation, do you have a complete solution?"
Fang Zhengyi shook his head and said, "Your Highness, you are very talented. You should understand that it is not easy to find a unified and feasible solution to change the methods and processes of many factories. We need to have a deep understanding of the human heart, technology, environment and other factors in practice. These alone are far from enough."
Li Yuanzhao couldn't help but feel a little discouraged: "Does that mean you are helpless?"
"Otherwise! I already have some quick and feasible plans." Fang Zheng raised his hand and said.
"What?" Li Yuanzhao immediately became alert.
Fang Zheng smiled and asked, "Your Highness, do you know who sets the workers' wages?"
"Of course it was decided by the factory directors and employers."
"You are wrong. Workers' wages are determined by the workers. If a factory manager pays two taels of silver a month to recruit ten positions, and one person applies, that's two taels. If a hundred people apply, he can probably recruit qualified workers even if he cuts the salary in half. If only one person applies for the job with two taels a month...if you were the factory manager, how would you solve this problem?"
"Raise wages," Li Yuanzhao said without hesitation. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "So, we can use propaganda to unite the workers and raise their wages collectively?"
Fang Zhengyi denied it, "The job market is in short supply right now, so this is absolutely unrealistic. Moreover, although those workers have the same status, they are better at fighting among themselves than uniting."
"Really? According to my observation, the workers in those factories are honest and kind."
"That's because you're well dressed and have servants with you. If you change your clothes, they'll immediately change their attitude." Fang Zhengyi said calmly, "They look honest, but in fact, they are no different from the evil bosses who exploit them."
A worker who is exploited by his boss every day, who goes home to read novels at night, will also use rewards to lure and urge for updates, and use carrots and sticks to enslave a weak author who is weaker than them, pitiful and helpless~
The evil soul of the capitalist is hidden in everyone, and everyone has his or her own calculations. How can we unite unless we are forced to do so?
......
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