Hong Kong Island Old Events

Six months later.

Summer is hot.

The time came to the evening of May 6, 1967, at the San Po Kong Plastic Flower Factory.

Li Jiacheng was wearing a suit and sitting in the office, with his back to the air conditioner and sweat dripping from his forehead. The sun shines into the room from the window. Looking up, the air sways like waves on the water.

"It's too hot in the summer."

After he signed the document, he put down the pen. Feeling his mouth was dry, he picked up the water glass and took a sip of herbal tea.

In the workshop.

A worker wearing a mask is operating a machine.

Since the plastic flower is a plastic product, the plastic needs to be heated in a boiler, and then pigments and polyester are added for shaping. After the shaped flower piece, workers will assemble it with stretch silk and wrinkled paper to make a plastic flower by hand.

The entire Xinpu Plastic Flower Factory has more than 3,000 workers and more than a dozen workshops, each with more than 200 workers.

The workers were in a high-temperature environment, and everyone was miserable and miserable. Moreover, the production of plastic flowers was poisonous, and the workers had already contracted lung diseases over the years. At this time, a worker responsible for hot-melt molding of plastic flowers was standing on the operating area. He felt dizzy and fell down the stairs.

"Taipuzai!"

"Tai Po Tsai."

The workers screamed in surprise and stepped forward to help the worker up. They saw that the worker was sweating profusely, exhausted and barely breathing.

"Boss Li."

"Another worker fainted due to heat stroke." The administrative secretary opened the door and reported hurriedly. Li Jiacheng sighed after hearing this, with a look of pain on his face: "Send the workers to the hospital immediately, and the medical expenses will be reimbursed by the company."

"yes."

The secretary nodded and said, "This is the fourth case of heatstroke since summer. Should we consider installing more fans in the workshop?"

"good."

Li Jiacheng thought about it for a while and thought that the weather was really hot. It was much more cost-effective to buy an electric fan to pay for medical expenses. If this continued, he could just install an air conditioner.

In the past, there were not many people in the factory, so it was easy to manage and there were few cases of heat stroke. Now as the production of plastic peanuts increases, the number of employees has doubled. Although the business has improved, the difficulty of management has also begun to increase. There are more than 3,000 people under his command begging for food, and it is not easy to feed them all.

He is also considered a "big boss".

"We will make herbal tea for the employees and give each of them a bowl at two o'clock every day to relieve the heat." Li Jiacheng drank the water.

"Okay." The administrative secretary bowed and nodded, thinking that the big boss is really a conscientious businessman.

Ten minutes later, Li Jiacheng suddenly heard a noise coming from the factory area. He came to the window and took a look upset, only to see more than 300 people gathered in the factory area. Several workers were carrying a stretcher, and the person on the stretcher was already there. Cover with white cloth.

Seeing this scene, his heart suddenly beat wildly, and he remembered the last time the factory was burned down. He quickly opened the door and planned to deal with it himself, but he bumped into the secretary running back on the road. The secretary's face was anxious: "Boss, Dabuzi died suddenly of heat stroke."

"Several foremen took the lead in making trouble and demanded compensation for Tai Po Tsai."

Li Jiacheng walked downstairs without saying a word, his expression tense.

"Boss, there was a work disturbance at the San Po Kong plastic flower factory. Nearly 500 plastic flower factory employees went on strike to seek compensation for the workers who died of heat stroke." Yan Xiong knocked on the door and reported: "The Kowloon District Criminal Division called , I ask if you care."

"San Po Kong?"

This place is located in the Wong Tai Sin area of ​​Kowloon District, relatively close to the New Territories, and many New Territories villagers work here.

Ho Ting-hsien has been planning a lot in recent times. He not only improves business, politics, and finance, but also secretly assists the Zuo Pai Federation of Trade Unions to expand its power and win over many workers in factories in Kowloon and the New Territories.

In Zuopai's eyes, this move was undoubtedly a manifestation of the close relative from the mainland, which caused Zuopai to feel much better about him.

"That's the Yangtze River Industrial factory."

His lips curved into a wicked smile.

Yan Xiong smiled and said, "Yes, San Po Kong is the headquarters of Cheung Kong Industries. It has the largest plastic flower production line in Hong Kong. Except for Cheung Kong Industries, other plastic flower factories can't muster 500 workers."

"Tube!"

"If something goes wrong on Hong Kong Island, of course the police have to take care of it, but it's not to help the Japanese who made their fortune in foreign trade, but to help the hard-working workers." He Dingxian knew that the opportunity to launch an attack had arrived, and without hesitation at all, he said : "You call Wong Tai Sin Police Station and ask them to maintain order and handle workers' gatherings appropriately."

"Don't get involved."

"Yes, sir!" Yan Xiong stood at attention and saluted, knowing that this incident was beyond the control of the Wong Tai Sin Department.

"Go down."

He Dingxian waved his hand and sat back on the chair. After Yan Xiong left, he personally called Yang Guang, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions: "Chairman Yang, did you know that a worker died suddenly in San Po Kong? I have asked the police to Send people over to ensure the safety of the workers first, what are the plans of the Federation of Trade Unions?"

Yang Guang sat in the office with a stern expression and a northern accent: "I have just received the news and am planning to lead people to the scene. The Federation of Trade Unions has the responsibility to protect the legal rights of all workers."

"good."

"As long as it is beneficial to the nation and the worker brothers, I, He Dingxian, will fully support it." He patted his chest hard and said firmly: "Just go ahead and do it."

Yang Guang immediately understood: "Thank you He Sheng."

The influence of his Federation of Trade Unions relies on the growth of the police force. Although he does not have a cooperative relationship with Ho Dingxian, there is no doubt that he does things for Ho Dingxian, whether it is to win support, claim credit from the north, or to make the Federation of Trade Unions bigger and better in Hong Kong. There is a congressman on the island.

He and He Dingxian have an inseparable relationship.

"I can promise to compensate Dabuzai, but I can only offer a price of five thousand yuan." Li Jiacheng stood in front of the crowd and said firmly: "In the future, we will equip the workshop with more air conditioners and distribute heatstroke prevention items. Please don't worry. "

"If heat stroke happens again, I will send someone to the hospital as soon as possible and all medical expenses will be covered."

Several workers shouted: "Twenty thousand!"

"Twenty thousand!"

"Last year, a ghost guy was hit and killed by a car on the way to work. The company even paid 20,000 yuan. Dabuzi died of heat in the workshop. Why is it only compensated 5,000 yuan?" A worker came forward and said excitedly: "We must follow the unified rules. Standard compensation!”

"right!"

"Chinese ghosts must be treated equally!"

The workers were all talking and very noisy.

More and more workers are walking out of the workshop, and the entire plastic flower factory has entered a state of strike.

Li Jiacheng was anxious, knowing that the workers were mentioning the matter of a foreign project team leader of Yangtze River Real Estate last year, but the foreigners would find a lawyer to file a lawsuit against him, and the workers would not, and the judge would award the compensation amount according to foreign standards. Judged according to Chinese standards.

Chinese and foreigners are not of the same legal standard.

He shouted: "Five thousand yuan is the unified price for all the owners of the Kowloon factory. If Tai Po Tsai's family has difficulties, there are elderly people to support, and children to study, I can provide more personal support, but the compensation is only five thousand yuan." There is not even one cent more in Hong Kong dollars.”

"The plastic flower factory makes so much money."

"That's none of your business!" Li Jiacheng's eyes glared like a wolf and a tiger.

According to the past, the workers should be afraid, give in, and suffer silently at this point. But I don’t know when the workers started to become a little different. One foreman cursed: "The value of labor comes from the workers, you are just a speculator." capitalist!"

"Fuck your mother."

"Every penny you make is sucking our blood and eating our flesh."

This statement immediately attracted the approval of many workers, and someone immediately spat on Li Jiacheng's face: "Bah!"

"The evil capitalism."

Li Jiacheng was so frightened that he didn't have time to wipe off his saliva and hid behind his secretary, his eyes full of anxiety. Because the words spoken by the workers are no longer purely motivated by money, but also carry the political ideology of the Zuocai faction.

If the workers recognized this political thought, they would skin it!

"Ajun!"

"Is there someone organizing it behind the scenes?" He separated from the crowd with the help of security guards. His secretary was sweating profusely beside him and shook his head: "Probably not. It's an accident. However, I heard that many people have been organizing labor unions in Shangzuo recently. I’ll take night classes.”

"FTU?"

Li Jiacheng knew about this organization, but in his memory it was an image organization that had no influence and only displayed on the table. Why did it suddenly have such great influence among the workers?

"Treat everyone equally!"

"Legal compensation!"

"Treat everyone equally!"

"Legal compensation!"

The escape from the chaos in Lijiacheng made the workers' emotions even more intense. The workers began to shout slogans loudly, even more humanely: "Comply with the labor law and pay high temperature allowances!"

"Heat allowance!"

"Heat allowance!"

This proposal immediately won the support of all workers.

"Beep beep beep."

At this time, a police whistle sounded, and 30 criminal team members and 80 uniformed team members from Wong Tai Sin Department arrived at the scene. The first thing the police officers did when they arrived was to separate workers from the office building to prevent workers from protesting into violence.

Later, Yang Guang, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, arrived at the scene and came to negotiate with Li Jiacheng on behalf of the workers.

After listening to Yang Guang's words, Li Jiacheng frowned and his eyes were threatening: "Chairman Yang, the most important thing in Kowloon New Territory is people. The people downstairs don't want to work, and there are plenty of people to do it. There is no need to talk about high temperature subsidies. "

"If I even pay high-temperature subsidies, do I need low-temperature subsidies in winter, and do I need water and day subsidies on rainy days? I'm here to do business, not do good deeds."

Yang Guang felt very aggrieved: "Many companies on Hong Kong Island have high temperature subsidies, and they only have to sit in the office to work. Why don't the workers who bleed and sweat in the factory deserve it?"

"It's a foreign thing that foreigners like to have hair. I'm Chinese, and none of the Chinese factories give out high-temperature subsidies." Li Jiacheng said confidently. Yang Guang advised: "Today the labor dispute broke out in the plastic flower factory. How about Mr. Li taking a good lead and being the first?"

"Is this federation of trade unions legal?" Li Jiacheng put his hands in his pockets and looked at him: "Now go down and ask them to disperse. I will pay Tai Po Tsai 20,000 yuan and give each person a salary increase of ten yuan next month. If they refuse Spread out, call someone by name, and chase someone away."

“You don’t need to bask in the sun when you go back to the countryside to farm.”

Li Jiacheng flicked the cigarette ashes, and Yang Guang got up and left. He went downstairs to convey Boss Li's words to the workers. The workers were silent for a while.