Chapter 154
Niu Enjiu was able to have the final say in the factory, apart from that so-called thing, mainly because there were people who were willing to listen to him.
Many heads of departments and workshops in the factory were promoted by him.
These people are close confidants of Director Niu. They have the director's full trust and authority, and of course they can also implement the director's intentions.
To a certain extent, this did improve the factory's work efficiency and allowed the food factory to expand rapidly in just a few years.
But everything has its pros and cons, and Niu Enjiu's working style is bound to make some people feel suffocated.
For example, He Dali, who took the risk of reselling state-owned assets, and other deputy factory directors.
Therefore, when Ye Manzhi proposed to pilot the "Angang Constitution" in the factory, he did not encounter strong opposition from other deputy factory directors.
Chen Qian even expressed his support clearly.
Because of the 2.27 fire incident, he, the deputy factory director in charge of production, was punished three times by his superiors.
If another major accident happens, he can just pack up and leave!
The "Angang Constitution" may not have an immediate effect, but at least it can reduce the impact of Niu Enjiu's one-man rule.
A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Ye Manzhi had just established herself in the factory and didn't want to antagonize Niu Enjiu. So when introducing the Anshan Iron and Steel Constitution, she didn't dwell on the issue of workers' participation in management. She simply said, "I've been going to the canning workshop more frequently lately, and many workers have complained that some of the factory's rules and regulations are unreasonable."
"A few days ago, a lightbulb in Workshop 2 broke and needed to be replaced. But from application to installation, there were a staggering fourteen procedures! Installing a single lightbulb required not only the signatures of the workshop director and the logistics department, but also my signature as the deputy factory manager in charge, the signature of Director Jiang, who's in charge of equipment, and finally, the signature of Director Niu."
"Not only are the workshop workers running themselves ragged, but the factory leaders are also struggling to improve their work efficiency. I have to spend at least two hours every day signing various applications. I used to be Director Xia's secretary, but after coming to our factory, I have to sign more documents every day than Director Xia!"
"It's just installing a light bulb. All we need to do is have the maintenance worker apply, get the workshop director's signature, and then go to logistics to apply for the new light bulb. The rest of the process can be simplified to improve our work efficiency."
Wang Shihu agreed, "Some procedures could indeed be simplified. For example, personal leave notes and sick leave notes should be handed over to either the deputy director of contract management or the deputy director of production. There's no need for two deputy directors to sign the form at the same time."
He has been busy recently applying for city awards for several cakes. He is so busy that he has to sign a pile of documents every day when he comes home, which makes him miserable.
The deputy factory directors complained bitterly, saying that the rules and regulations were unreasonable, but in fact they were indirectly supporting the implementation of the "Angang Constitution."
Niu Enjiu blew the tea leaves in the cup, knowing clearly what the deputy factory directors meant.
He paused for a moment and said, "The Anshan Constitution was piloted in our factory for a period of time, but its implementation wasn't ideal. Some workers complained that they didn't know how to manage the factory, and that participating in management was hindering production. One veteran worker even said, 'If we let the workers manage the factory, what's the point of having a factory director and other cadres?' Haha."
Ye Manzhi smiled and said, "When the Anshan Iron and Steel Constitution was first implemented, there were certainly many voices of doubt. However, the Anshan Iron and Steel Constitution has been implemented in our province for three years. As far as I know, it has achieved good results in many factories. Our factory might as well follow suit."
“…”
Several deputy factory directors were waiting for Niu Enjiu's reply, and at the same time they were sighing in their hearts that Deputy Factory Director Ye really knew how to seize the opportunity.
The "Anshan Constitution" was advocated and promoted by the Chairman.
If a food factory fails in its first implementation, it can still blame it on lack of experience.
Now that the province has so many successful experiences in front of us, and Lao Niu has just received a serious warning within the party, what reason does he have to refuse to implement the "Angang Constitution"?
Niu Enjiu really couldn't find any plausible reason to refuse.
But his not refusing does not mean that this matter can be carried out smoothly.
Isn’t there a trick called procrastination?
"Director Ye's proposal is indeed quite valuable, but our factory has been in a state of panic recently. Many workers are unable to concentrate on production, and some workshops have already delayed production. Let's wait until production catches up and then we can make a long-term plan."
Chen Qian said, "If we implement the new policy on a large scale, the workers will be in a mess and it will easily delay production progress. Why don't we first find one or two workshops to serve as pilot sites and try to implement it?"
Ye Manzhi continued, "You could consider using my candy and canning workshops as pilot projects. Currently, production in both workshops is progressing normally. Although the canning workshop lacks equipment, the workers work in three shifts, so production hasn't been affected."
The workers in these two workshops account for a quarter of the total number of workers in the factory.
You can use these two workshops to make a breakthrough first.
Niu Enjiu frowned and thought about it. The punishment he had just received was indeed troublesome. His refusal to implement the "Angang Constitution" would do him more harm than good.
"Then let's try it out first in the two canning workshops that have just resumed production."
*
To prevent any further complications, Ye Manzhi went to the Second Brewery to learn from its experience and within two days he implemented the "Angang Constitution" in two workshops.
"Director Ye, how are we supposed to manage such a large factory?" an old worker said, "I don't know how to manage it!"
Ye Manzhi sat on a makeshift podium made of a broken table and asked with a smile, "Master Li, if I gave you two keys to the workshop door, could you manage them well?"
"What's wrong with keeping the key? I can just tie it to my belt."
Ye Manzhi continued, "If I give you 500 cans and ask you to take care of them, can you do it?"
"Yes, just count them. Just count them clearly."
Ye Manzhi laughed and said, "You know how to manage things, so why do you say you can't manage them well?"
Master Li was speechless: "How can managing keys and bottles be the same as managing a factory?"
"The factory is made up of these little things, isn't it? What do you think I, the deputy director, manage every day? I only manage small matters!" Ye Manzhi tapped the microphone and said to the workers in several workshops, "The opportunity to implement the 'Anshan Constitution' is very rare. I fought hard for this opportunity for our cannery and candy workshops. The working class is the master of the factory. Letting everyone participate in management just proves that we workers are the masters of the house, isn't it?"
"Director Ye, there are so many people in the factory. If everyone participated in management, wouldn't that just be chaos? We did that a few years ago, and it was a mess!"
Ye Manzhi nodded and said, "Sister Cui is right. If thousands of people are in charge of one thing, it is easy for chaos to occur. But if each person only takes care of one or two things, there will be no chaos!"
"Let's take the canning workshop as an example. Our production scale is large, with many steps and complex content. It's difficult for the workshop director and foremen to manage every production link accurately. This requires the participation of all workers in our workshop to manage the process."
"I recently conducted research at Binjiang Second Brewery. The steps for producing beer and canned goods are similar. How does the brewery do it? They divide each shift into smaller groups. For example, if the day shift has 50 people, they'll be divided into five production teams, each with 10 members. Each team member will be responsible for comprehensive management of the team's production, technology, and finances. Based on their expertise and specific qualifications, they'll be assigned tasks such as attendance, record-keeping, planning, quality control, equipment, tools, and labor protection supplies. Each person will be responsible for one task, and in time, everyone will be able to manage the factory."
Master Li asked, "Just let me take care of one thing?"
"Yes, managing a factory isn't difficult. Each of us will be responsible for one task. Through this task, we can see whether everyone is suitable for management work. Those comrades with particularly strong management skills will have the opportunity to be trained as reserve cadres by the factory! So I hope everyone can take their respective responsibilities seriously!"
There was an uproar among the workers.
It is extremely difficult to change from a worker to a cadre.
Some "ambitious" people in the workshop have been trying to get promoted to cadre positions even after using their connections for several years.
"Director Ye, after we manage the factory, do we really have a chance to become cadres?"
"Of course," Ye Manzhi said affirmatively, "Comrades with strong management skills will become reserve cadres trained by the factory. What are reserve cadres? It means that once there is a cadre vacancy in the factory, we will be given priority consideration based on our abilities and qualifications!"
There were hundreds of workers gathered in the audience. Some of them bought into her trick, while others didn't take it seriously.
An old worker sitting in the front row said, "There are a lot of tricks, but I don't know if that constitution will work. If it doesn't, then it's all in vain!"
The worker sitting next to him kicked him on the foot to remind him not to talk nonsense.
"Master Wang's concerns are probably shared by most of us here. How effective is the 'Angang Constitution'?" Ye Manzhi said with a smile. "The canning workshop has a persistent hidden danger: the loss of cans is out of control. This leads to confusion among everyone about the number of cans, making it easy for criminals to exploit loopholes. The implementation of the 'Angang Constitution' is a good opportunity to address this problem. It won't take too long. Let's wait a week and see the results then!"
*
After Ye Manzhi held a meeting with the workshop workers, he called a small meeting with the workshop director and foremen.
The purpose is to allow each workshop to divide the work among the workers as soon as possible and let everyone participate in factory management.
She was busy here, and several other factory managers were also keeping an eye on what was happening in the canning workshop.
Chen Qian went to her office several times but was unsuccessful. Later, he went directly to the workshop to ask her about the pilot project.
Ye Manzhi said confidently, "It's great! The workers are all very motivated. Who wouldn't be happy to let everyone take charge? We completed the grouping yesterday, and today we're officially in charge of our respective tasks. We can already see the results in just one day!"
"So fast?" Chen Qian didn't believe it.
"Of course!" Ye Manzhi pointed towards the bottle washer. "Do you know how many cans are over there? This morning, the workers in charge of several groups counted them. There are 4,821 in total. Look at that sterilizing pot. Isn't it clean? They wiped it clean!"
Chen Qian: “…”
The effect is immediate.
Ye Manzhi urged, "Director Chen, you should also apply to the factory to have the Anshan Iron and Steel Constitution implemented in the workshops you are responsible for."
Because of the punishment decision made by their superiors, the relationship between Chen Qian and Niu Enjiu has become a bit delicate recently.
Chen Qian, the deputy production director, did not have as much power as outsiders thought, but after the accident, he was the first one to be pushed out to take the blame.
Even though Niu Enjiu has comforted Chen Qian privately several times, can Chen Qian really not feel uncomfortable?
Ye Manzhi was weak in the team, and whether her proposal would be adopted depended entirely on Niu Enjiu's mood. If she had the chance, she would still like to find someone to huddle with.
Chen Qian is a good candidate.
"One pilot project is enough," Chen Qian said. "I'll first learn from the experience in the canning workshop, and then roll it out to other workshops when the time is right."
Ye Manzhi said readily, "Okay, feel free to ask for advice. After all, you are the deputy director of production, and these workshops are under your management. You can come here more often and give us some suggestions."
She glanced at her watch and asked, "Director Chen, you're not in a hurry to get off work soon, are you?"
"Um."
"Then you can help me keep an eye on the workshop for a while. I'm on duty tonight, but my wife is on a business trip, so I have to go to the kindergarten to pick up the child first."
"Then go quickly."
Ye Manzhi handed the work to Chen Qian to help keep an eye on, and she quickly took a car back to the military academy.
A few days after the Children's Day test flight, Wu Zhengrong went on a business trip to Shanghai with the new results.
These past two days, it was just the two of them at home.
It was fine at other times, but when it was her turn to work the night shift at the factory, Wu Yuzhuo's custody became a problem.
Ye Manzhi originally wanted to entrust her to Sister Zhenfang next door and let her stay with Yi Yi for the night.
But Wu Yuzhuo is a very opinionated kid. He can play anywhere during the day, but he must go home to be with his parents or great-grandparents at night.
Ye Manzhi hurried to the kindergarten to pick up the sticky girl after school, and then took her back to the factory to work.
"The bed at my mom's workplace isn't as comfortable as the one at home. If you want to follow me, you'll have to make do."
Wu Yuzhuo nodded repeatedly.
She got out of the car and looked around with wide eyes. When she found the sugar water stand in front of the food factory, she quickly grabbed her mother and asked, "Is there any peach juice there?"
"Well, it should be sold out today."
As cherries were off the market, canned cherry production also stopped.
Now is the season when peaches and tomatoes are on the market in large quantities, and the canning workshop is producing canned yellow peaches and canned tomatoes.
The syrup in the syrup station also became peach syrup.
Both cherry juice and peach juice are in great demand and are sold out within an hour after get off work every day.
Ye Manzhi bought a five-cent red bean popsicle and then took her daughter to the factory to work.
She inspects all the workshops every time she is on duty, and today is no exception.
Wu Yuzhuo followed his mother through rows of factory buildings, and soon his feet became sore from walking.
"Mom, your unit is bigger than our compound!" Wu Yuzhuo suggested, biting the stick of a popsicle. "You can buy a bicycle and ride it while on duty."
"You're quite good at making arrangements!"
Seeing that she really couldn't walk anymore, Ye Manyi stopped strolling and took her to the nearest canning factory and asked Chen Qian to go home from get off work.
Summer is the peak season for canned food production, and all workers work in three shifts.
When Ye Manzhi took her children there, two trucks of yellow peaches had just been unloaded in the open space in front of the factory, and hundreds of workers were sitting on the ground peeling peaches together.
The scene was quite spectacular.
The country bumpkin Wu Yuzhuo couldn't help but exclaim "Wow".
Ye Manzhi thought to himself, there were indeed a lot of workers, so it was no big deal if the child cried a little.
Wu Yuzhuo then said, "There are so many peaches!"
“…”
Ye Manzhi took out a mask from her pocket and put it on, then squeezed into the crowd with her child, peeling peaches and chatting with everyone.
"Sister Chen, do we have enough people to peel so many peaches?"
"It's definitely not enough. We have to hire temporary workers every year. Last year we hired over 300 people!" said Sister Chen. "This year's peaches are even more than last year's. Even if we call all the workers on the construction site to come over to work, we'll still need to hire at least 280 people."
Another female worker said to Ye Manzhi, "Director Ye, the factory needs to do something about this year's hiring. Director Li from Workshop 1 has brought all his relatives to work in the factory. This has a very bad influence!"
Everyone dared to drag Director Li out because Director Li had already been held accountable and dismissed from his post because of the February 27 fire case.
In fact, food factories have to recruit a large number of temporary workers every year to cope with the peak season of canned food production.
Director Li is not the only one who has brought relatives into the factory.
Other workshop directors, foremen, and team leaders have done the same thing.
The workers often grumbled behind his back.
Ye Manzhi held down her daughter's hand, which had just finished picking peaches and was about to scratch her face, and turned to ask, "Did temporary workers in previous years receive piecework wages or fixed wages?"
"It's all piecework. You get paid based on how much you work. During the peak production season, you earn two or three months' wages and then leave."
“Were there many family members in previous years?”
"It's not a small amount anyway."
Ye Manzhi smiled and said, "Actually, I quite support the factory hiring family members to work. Think about it, if you hire family members to help out, at least you know them well. If there's a problem with their work, it can be traced back to the regular employee who introduced them to the factory. This way, temporary workers will be more cautious when helping out, so as not to affect the family members' work in the factory."
Several people around nodded, "Director Ye's words make sense."
Ye Manzhi said, "What you all mentioned is a good point. I could actually make a suggestion to the HR department. Having hundreds of unfamiliar temporary workers come into the factory every day presents certain safety risks. When we need temporary workers in the future, we should give priority to family members. If any of you have relatives who would like to work as temporary workers, you can apply with the factory."
Upon hearing this, the workers immediately became excited.
Isn't it a pie in the sky to be able to let family members work in the factory and earn extra money without having to go through any backdoors?
You know, there were quite a few family workers in the past, but they were all secretly stuffed in by small leaders.
When will this good thing happen to ordinary workers?
"Then I'll sign up my daughter. She's even more efficient than me at work," Sister Chen pointed to the large basin in front of her. "She can peel at least three basins of peaches every day."
At the end of the month, I can earn at least ten yuan!
As Ye Manzhi peeled peaches, she smiled and reminded everyone, "Everyone, please recommend reliable candidates. If a family member causes trouble in the factory, the person who recommended them will be implicated."
Wu Yuzhuo squatted beside them and listened to his mother chatting with the aunts, while he peeled two peaches.
She didn't have a knife, so she peeled it bit by bit with her fingers.
Wu Yuzhuo scratched his face, leaned over and asked quietly, "Mom, how much can I get for peeling two peaches?"
"..." Ye Manzhi looked at the child worker in front of him and said resolutely, "If you can peel 30 peaches, I can give you five cents."
Wu Yuzhuo did a quick calculation and said, "Then I'll peel four more, for a total of six. Mom, just give me a penny."
You can buy a stick of salt water ice for one cent!
Ye Manzhi agreed to give her a penny, then held down her hand as she tried to scratch the itch again.
"The hairs on the peaches are not washed clean." Wu Yuzhuo tilted his head and rubbed his itchy face with his shoulder.
"There aren't enough pools for washing peaches. Let's just keep going." Sister Chen wiped her face with a handkerchief and sighed, "I should have listened to Du Tao and built a flotation washing workshop. If we had a flotation washing workshop, we wouldn't have to squeeze into those two pools all day long."
"Forget it. It's a good thing we didn't build a workshop at that time. If we had, it would have definitely burned down."
"Haha, that's true."
Ye Manzhi asked: "Why didn't they build this flotation washing plant at that time?"
"It takes up too much space," said Sister Chen. "Du Tao wants to build a flotation and washing workshop of over 300 square meters. He's just an ordinary worker. Although he has some small inventions, he's not a technician or engineer. The boss will definitely not listen to him."
"Then you didn't ask an expert to verify it?"
"Everyone was busy with production, so who had the time to discuss this? The workers actually wanted a flotation and washing workshop, which would be so convenient, but the workshop director didn't trust Du Tao's skills, so the matter was left unresolved."
Ye Manzhi nodded in understanding and wrote down Du Tao's name.
It is not enough to just let cadres participate in labor and workers participate in management. We also need to do something about "one reform" and "three combinations" before we can implement the "Angang Constitution" throughout the factory.
…
Ye Manzhi slept with the child in the duty room for the night. The next day, too lazy to take her to kindergarten, she simply sent her to the Wu family's old house and let Wu Yuzhuo study with her great-grandfather, blatantly skipping a day of school.
Both Wu Yuzhuo himself and the old couple of the Wu family were very satisfied with this decision.
Ye Manzhi secretly missed Wu Zhengrong who picked up and dropped off the children every day, and then found an excuse for herself in her mind.
She has to go to the Industrial Department for a meeting in the morning. If she sends her child back to kindergarten, she will be late for the meeting!
So she handed her child to the old couple and went to the meeting at the Industrial Bureau without any psychological burden.
The meeting started at 9:30, and Ye Manzhi strolled to the entrance of the Industrial Hall at 9 o'clock.
The working hours of the Industrial Department are from 9 am to 5 pm. When she arrived at the door, apart from the provincial and ministerial officials who were rushing to work, only Chen Teye was standing guard at the door.
"Section Chief Chen, have you been transferred to work at the provincial department?" Ye Manzhi asked with a smile, "Why are you here so early?"
"What? I'm here to do something!" Chen Teye asked with a look of vigilance, "Why are you here so early?"
Ye Manzhi was stunned when he heard this, and thought to himself, did Chen Tie take the wrong medicine?
They are old classmates after all, why do they act like they are meeting class enemies when they meet?
Ye Manzhi's eyes quickly passed over him, and then she casually glanced at the document in his hand.
Relying on her good eyesight, she grasped the key information on it at a glance: "Japanese soda" and "application form".
China has achieved self-sufficiency in soda.
The country's foreign exchange reserves are limited, and most of the things imported from outside are equipment that is in short supply in various key areas. It is absolutely impossible to import things like soda from Japan.
Ye Manzhi's mind raced as he had already made up his mind.
She looked calm and asked with a smile, "Section Chief Chen, are you here to ask about that Japanese soda production line as well? Well, although our food factory is directly managed by the provincial department, the factory building is at least built in Binjiang City, and the taxes and other things are counted towards Binjiang City's finances. Regarding this soda production line, the Municipal Industry Bureau could actually cooperate with our food factory!"
Chen Teye works at the Binjiang Municipal Industrial Bureau. The production line that makes him rush to the provincial department early in the morning to apply for it is most likely free!
The First Food Factory does not have a soda business and has never produced soda, but it has also never produced pastries, bread, and pickles before!
Now we have everything!
They currently have everything they need except money. If there really is free equipment available, then of course she will try to get it!
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