Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 254 A Pragmatic Town Party Secretary

Xiang Jing, who was listening nearby, interjected, "Secretary Wu, the situation that Director Xu described does exist in many townships and is a typical example of grassroots employees receiving salaries without working."

In fact, the phenomenon of receiving a salary without working manifests itself in many ways at the grassroots level.

Wu Zhiyuan looked at Xiang Jing: "Oh? Mayor Xiang, could you elaborate on the specific manifestations?"

Xiang Jing thought for a moment and said, "From what I understand, there are roughly these kinds of cases."

The first type, as Director Xu just mentioned, involves people with connections or backgrounds who are registered in a unit but never actually come to work, yet still receive their salary and benefits.

These are often special individuals whom no one dares to touch.

"The second type is called 'hanging everywhere'."

Some people use various connections to hold nominal positions in two or more organizations at the same time, thus occupying a nominal position and receiving multiple salaries or subsidies.

For example, we discovered before that someone was simultaneously registered at the town's finance office and receiving money from a county-level association.

The third type is "cannot be transferred".

The person has been transferred away from their original unit, or even retired or passed away, but their salary record hasn't been transferred or reimbursed in time, and the original unit is still paying them. This money is either intercepted by the person handling it or fraudulently claimed by someone else.

"The fourth type is 'just a figurehead, but doesn't actually work'."

Some people take sick leave or personal leave for years, or are absent from their posts for extended periods under the guise of temporary transfer, study, or assistance with work, but still receive the same salary and benefits.

As Director Xu mentioned, it's hard to say whether the person on long-term sick leave is actually sick.

If you ask him for medical records, he will definitely be able to produce them, and they will definitely be issued by a regular hospital, indicating that the condition is quite serious.

You can't exactly force him to go to the hospital for a checkup to see if he really has a disease, can you?

The person in charge of the unit was aware of these situations, but either out of consideration for face, fear of offending people, or a feeling that it was better to do less trouble, they turned a blind eye.

Over time, this became a chronic problem, severely eroding public funds, corrupting the work ethic, and making those who worked diligently feel resentful.

Xu Baosheng nodded repeatedly from the side: "Mayor Xiang is absolutely right!"

Everyone knows what's going on with that person at our center who's just a figurehead, but who's going to take charge? How can we take charge? It not only offends people, but it also doesn't get any results.

Wu Zhiyuan slowly spoke: "Mayor Xiang's analysis is very thorough, and what Director Xu said is also true."

The practice of receiving salaries without working is not unique to Xindian Town; it exists to varying degrees in other places as well, and in some cases, it is even more serious than in our town.

In the past, for various reasons, everyone chose to turn a blind eye or had no choice but to accept it.

But as long as I remain in Xindian Town, this loophole must be tightened, and this unhealthy trend must be stopped!

After a pause, Wu Zhiyuan continued, "The two comrades on temporary assignment will remain as they are for now."

The practice of secondment is very common at the grassroots level. As long as they are working in their posts, they are not truly receiving salaries without working.

If the comrade on long-term sick leave has a serious illness that has reached the point of losing the ability to work and making it impossible for him to perform his job duties for a long period of time, then out of humanitarian concern and in accordance with policy regulations, we will help him to go through the procedures for medical retirement so that he can recuperate with peace of mind.

This matter was spearheaded by Mayor Xiang, who proactively contacted the individual to ascertain the true situation. If medical retirement was indeed necessary, it would be processed according to procedure. This approach demonstrates responsibility to both colleagues and the central tasks.

As for that comrade who is just a figurehead, does not work, and receives a salary without working, Director Xu officially notified him in the name of the center before leaving get off work today, requiring him to report to the center for work within three days!

If he doesn't show up in three days, stop all his salary and benefits starting next month!

Just tell him that this is what Wu Zhiyuan said, and that if he has any objections, he should come directly to me!

Xu Baosheng stammered, "Secretary Wu, this comrade's uncle is said to be the deputy director of the county people's congress standing committee..."

Wu Zhiyuan interrupted Xu Baosheng, his attitude firm: "Does the law stipulate that you can get paid for doing nothing if you have connections, or do the rules and regulations of our Xindian Town allow us to support idlers?"

If we dare not or are unwilling to take action on such blatant violations of rules and regulations, then what is the point of talking about fairness and justice?

What's the point of talking about rectifying work style? What will other comrades who work diligently think? What will the common people think when they find out?

He paused, then softened his tone: "Director Xu, do as I say. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong."

I want to see who gave him such audacity, and who is condoning this behavior behind the scenes!

This matter must be dealt with seriously and publicized throughout the entire town so that everyone knows that there is no way anyone in Xindian Town is receiving a salary without working!

Wu Zhiyuan went to check each office and found that of the thirteen people on duty, only six were playing cards or watching the game; the others were not there.

"Director Xu, where are the other comrades?"

"There is a couple who are both full-time employees of our center. They contracted the agricultural supplies store at the entrance. They are both over fifty years old and mainly sell agricultural supplies."

Other comrades either went to meetings in the county, went to the villages, or asked for leave.

Wu Zhiyuan knew that Xu Baosheng might not be telling the truth, but he didn't pursue the matter further.

Among the seven stations and eight offices in townships, the agricultural stations are the weakest, lacking both money and status, and far inferior to the finance office, land office, and police station.

If you take things too seriously, others will say you're abusing your power and picking on the weak.

Subsequently, Wu Zhiyuan convened a symposium to listen to everyone's opinions.

At first, everyone was a little reserved, looking at each other.

Wu Zhiyuan encouraged everyone, saying, "Today's meeting is not about discussing achievements or singing praises; it's mainly about listening to everyone's heartfelt words."

What are the real difficulties the center is currently facing?

What difficulties do you encounter in your work and life?

What opinions or suggestions do you have for the town's Party committee and government? Speak freely.

We are here today to solve problems, not to assign blame.

The card game incident and the absence incident are now behind us.

But I hope that, starting today, our center can have a new look.

Xu Baosheng was the first to speak: "Secretary Wu, to be honest, the center is a three-no unit - no money, no resources, and no status."

The first issue is people. The biggest problems with the people in our center are that they are "old" and "low-level".

"Old" refers to age. Look at everyone here, those in their forties are considered young, and more than half are in their fifties.

The term "low" refers to low educational attainment; the vast majority of them were assigned here after graduating from vocational high school, and what they learned is no longer relevant.

Nowadays, farming and raising livestock are all about science, technology, and the market, but our knowledge is severely outdated, and the county rarely organizes training.

To be honest, we don't even understand many of the new technologies ourselves, so how can we guide farmers?

Sometimes when we go to the villages, we meet some large-scale farmers and young new farmers who know more than we do. We feel like students.

This teacher must be incredibly ashamed.

Xu Baosheng started the conversation, and the others followed suit.

"Secretary Wu, the center's funding is severely insufficient. The finance department only allocates a small amount for personnel expenses and a pittance for office expenses. Maintaining water and electricity and subscribing to newspapers is already a struggle."

Our center mainly relies on the 20,000 yuan annual rent paid by the agricultural supply store at the entrance, which barely covers the cost of fuel and meals when we go to the countryside.

With this little money, forget about upgrading equipment, buying professional books, or organizing training trips for everyone.

"Secretary Wu, look at our office conditions. There are more than a dozen people, but only one computer and no printer."

Even printing a simple document requires a trip to a photocopy shop on the street.

"As for the benefits, it's just a fixed salary every month, don't even think about performance bonuses or performance-based pay."

Compared to the Ministry of Finance, we are like the difference between the underground and the heavens.

They give out bonuses every now and then, and they also provide housing through collective fundraising.

In the past, when we were looking for partners, female cadres, teachers, and nurses would shake their heads like rattles when they heard that we were from the agricultural technology station. They would say that we were just country bumpkins with no future and no status.

Young people don't want to come anymore; our place is quickly becoming a senior citizens' club.

"The most troublesome thing is having nothing to do and being unable to do anything."

Previously, each station had its own specialized tasks, but after the merger, the business became more diverse, and there were many superiors, including the County Agricultural Commission, Animal Husbandry Bureau, Agricultural Machinery Bureau, Water Resources Bureau, Fisheries Bureau, Forestry Bureau, and Agricultural Economics Office...

Anyone can assign tasks, but no one can provide much support.

Sending out pest and disease information is the same old routine; farmers already know it just by checking their phones.

Go to the village to provide guidance? Your skills might not even be as good as those large-scale farmers or skilled livestock breeders. Do you think they'll trust you?

Going down there is just a matter of looking around and filling out forms, which only interferes with other people's work. Over time, things will inevitably become lax.

……

After everyone had finished speaking, Wu Zhiyuan slowly said, "I felt very uncomfortable listening to what you all said, but I also understand completely."

An aging workforce, outdated knowledge and skills, severe funding shortages, inadequate office conditions, low salaries, and low social recognition...

These are the objective realities we face, and they are also common problems in many of our grassroots agricultural units.

For some issues, such as staffing and salaries, the township level does have limited authority and needs to seek policy support from the county level.

But can we only wait, rely on, and ask for help when faced with all problems?

Under the current conditions, are we truly destined to do nothing but drift through life?

Wu Zhiyuan paused, then changed the subject: "You only get a position if you are capable. Position doesn't fall from the sky; it's earned through hard work."

The farmers' distrust didn't come out of thin air; we ruined our own reputation.

The town has indeed not provided enough care and support to the center in the past, but from today onwards, we must work together to find ways to change this situation.

Simply waiting and asking won't work. We must take action ourselves and show some results before we can garner more support.

"Next, I'd like to share a few initial thoughts with you all."

"First, discipline and conduct are the bottom line and must be upheld."

Starting today, the center will strictly enforce attendance and clearly define job responsibilities.

The current situation of overstaffing and complacency must be completely reversed.

Regarding the issue of receiving salaries without working, as mentioned earlier, we will proceed according to the previously agreed-upon plan without any ambiguity.

There is no room for negotiation on this point.

"Secondly, the town will resolve the office conditions immediately."

Director Sun, please make a note of this. Immediately after the meeting, we will request two working computers, one printer, and one copier from the town government to provide to the center to ensure basic office needs are met.

Sun Dewang nodded quickly and wrote it down.

"Third, regarding funding and benefits. The town's finances are also tight, but no matter how tight they are, we will still invest where necessary."

My initial consideration is to allocate a special fund from the town's finances each year. The amount will be discussed further by our team, but it will definitely be allocated to the center's operations, the purchase of necessary equipment, and training.

However, it must be emphasized that this money is not for headcount fees, and it should not be used to support idle people.

Its use must be linked to the center's performance and everyone's work effectiveness.

If you do a good job, are innovative, and achieve results, you will receive preferential funding, and you can also strive for additional performance bonuses at the end of the year.

If you slack off, then I'm sorry, not only will you not get paid, but you'll also be held accountable.

"Fourth, and most importantly, we need to find a breakthrough in getting things done and rediscover our value."

Our Xindian Town is a major agricultural town, so why did Dingyue Group choose us?

It's because of our agricultural resources and agricultural foundation!

When they arrive, they will have very high requirements for the standardization and quality of agricultural products.

This is our opportunity, and also our responsibility!

"I was thinking, could our center take the initiative to get things moving on its own?"

For example, we could use the large amount of wasteland in our compound, as well as that pond, to create a small-scale integrated farming demonstration site.

What to plant? What to raise? Let's not do anything fancy, but focus on the characteristics of our town, the needs of the market, and the product categories that Dingyue Group might need.

Introduce some new varieties, try out some ecological cycle models, and explore green prevention and control technologies.

If we succeed, we can generate some revenue to improve everyone's treatment. More importantly, this is a living lesson, a living example!

When the time comes, we'll invite large-scale grain growers to come and see, invite Dingyue Group to come and see, and invite farmers to come and learn. Only then will our words carry weight!

"For example, we can't just sit in the office collecting reports."

Starting next month, everyone in the center will be assigned to contact one or two villages and a few large households.

Your performance evaluation will not only look at whether you've filled out the reports, but also at how many times you've gone to the fields, how many practical problems you've solved, and how much the farmers you've helped have increased their production and income.

"We also need training, we can't wait for the county. We can organize it ourselves, invite experts from the county, invite planting experts, and we can also have internal staff take turns giving lectures and exchanging experiences."

Funding comes from a special project. Solve one small problem at a time, and the results will add up.

After Wu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he looked at everyone and said, "These are just preliminary ideas, and they may not all be correct. Everyone can discuss and add to them."

But the core idea is this: our rural economic service center can no longer just hang there, neither alive nor dead!

Alternatively, we can take the initiative to change, make a name for ourselves, and earn respect and status;

Either we continue to decline until we are completely marginalized, or even abolished during some reform. The path we choose is in our hands.

Everyone chimed in with their opinions and suggestions.

Wu Zhiyuan wrote them down one by one in his notebook.

Then, his gaze fell on Xiang Jing: "Mayor Xiang, you will take the lead in coordinating this matter."

The center should come up with a feasible construction plan for the demonstration site and a daily management and assessment method as soon as possible, including the necessary start-up budget, and submit it to the town.

Our team will study this as soon as possible. As long as the plan is practical, the town will find a way to provide funding!

Wu Zhiyuan concluded by saying, "Comrades, agriculture is the foundation, and you are the technicians and service providers closest to the land."

This position is very important and also very honorable.

There were both objective and subjective reasons for not doing well in the past.

Starting today, let's address the subjective reasons and work together to overcome the objective difficulties step by step.

I hope that next time I come, I will not see people gathering to play cards, but rather people working in the experimental fields, analyzing data in front of computers, and going to villages and households with technical materials.

For agriculture in our Xindian Town to develop and connect with large enterprises, we cannot do without a rural economic service center that truly understands agriculture, loves rural areas, and is capable of serving the people! Do you all have confidence?

"Yes!" the comrades at the center said in unison.

"Alright! Then I'll wait and see what everyone does and how things change!" Wu Zhiyuan waved his hand forcefully, "Meeting adjourned!"