As the year-end bonus payment date approaches, the fierce "infighting" between central and state-owned enterprises has once again aroused heated public discussions. There is a huge disparity between the bonuses of employees and leaders, with the latter often earning hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars a year, while the former is only a few thousand. This polarization will inevitably weaken the endogenous power of enterprises, and effective measures should be taken as soon as possible to narrow the gap, which is related to the fate of enterprises and even the country.
The disparity in prize money is jaw-dropping
In many state-owned enterprises, there is a world of difference between the year-end bonuses of employees and leaders. Ordinary workers only get a few thin red envelopes a year, but leaders often get rich "dividends" comparable to annual salaries. What's even more staggering is that some leaders have an annual income of hundreds of thousands or even millions.
This polarization is particularly acute in central enterprises. Data shows that in 2020 alone, the average annual salary of senior executives of central enterprises will be 1.47 million yuan. The income of ordinary employees is often only 3,000-5,000 yuan.
It is difficult to improve the enthusiasm of employees, and the development prospects are worrying
This disparity in income seriously affects the endogenous motivation and vitality of enterprises. Employees often complain and even rebel in the face of the "arrogance" of executives. It is difficult to improve their enthusiasm for work, and the development prospects of enterprises are also worrisome.
After all, the foundation of an enterprise is at the grassroots level, and it is ordinary employees who determine success or failure. If the income of the low-level workers cannot be guaranteed for a long time and it is difficult to maintain passion, the rise and fall of the enterprise will be inevitable. This is a serious problem that state-owned enterprises must face squarely.
The gap should be narrowed and the status of employees should be increased
Therefore, SOEs urgently need to take strong measures to close the gap between executives and employees. It is necessary not only to set a ceiling on income and control the privileges of leadership, but also to appropriately raise the salary and status of ordinary employees.
Generous dividends are given according to the performance of employees. Employee stock ownership can also be considered so that they can become one of the key contributors to the business. Only when employees feel that the development of the enterprise is highly tied to their own interests, their enthusiasm for work can be truly improved. This requires decentralization and strong support for employee entrepreneurship and innovation.
We should earnestly strengthen supervision and control and prevent corruption among leaders
In addition, relevant departments also need to strengthen supervision to prevent leaders from abusing their power for personal gain. The data shows that leadership privilege and corruption are very common in central enterprises. It is common for executives to rely on various illegal means to obtain "performance" and eat and drink with public funds.
This has led to a surge in the loss of state-owned assets and a decline in employee motivation, which should be taken seriously. It is obviously not enough to rely on corporate self-restraint alone, and it is urgent to increase the supervision of the government and the public, so that power can truly "run in the sun".
Fair development is the life of state-owned enterprises
Overall, this reflects the serious imbalance in the current internal development of SOEs, and also highlights the deep-seated shortcomings of the governance system and mechanism. However, as long as the decision-makers realize the seriousness of the problem and take decisive measures, there is hope that the situation will be reversed.
We must keep in mind that the will of the people is the most important politics. The same is true for enterprise development, and the sense of gain of grassroots employees is fundamental. Only by allowing the employees at the bottom to live a good life can their enthusiasm and creativity be truly stimulated. This is the only way for state-owned enterprises to achieve high-quality development.