There is a group of people who work tirelessly under the scorching sun and in the biting cold, laboring hard for meager wages, many of whom are over 60 years old… They are the “city beauticians” – sanitation workers. It is their day and night efforts that bring about a clean and comfortable urban environment.
When it comes to smartwatches, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Xiaotiancai smartwatch, which is mainly used for children’s learning. Speaking of which, if a leader were to gift me a smartwatch, I think I would be so excited that I would offer myself in return… But today, I want to introduce a new type of smartwatch designed specifically for sanitation workers, which is said to be used to fuel them! In fact, this smartwatch is quite impressive! It’s definitely not a “cheap gadget”! But if you tell me this watch is used to monitor my work… I’m sorry, WQNMLGB!
【1】The “Loudest” Fueling Sound in the World!
By installing sensors in trash bins to monitor whether they are full; using robots for night operations to relieve sanitation workers from day and night labor… Nowadays, smart technology is providing more and more solutions for urban environmental management. Recently, equipping cleaning staff with smartwatches has been an active exploration in the construction of smart sanitation. Environmental hygiene is the “face” of a city, and with the continuous improvement of sanitation standards, current sanitation operations need to delve into the corners of the city while also focusing more on details and quality enhancement. Equipping sanitation workers with smartwatches reflects a profound change in sanitation concepts, and of course, the official statement is to encourage and fuel them.
In Nanjing, a sanitation worker received a smartwatch and was overjoyed, but it turns out this is not a benevolent gesture! The recent news of gifting smartwatches to sanitation workers has surfaced, with Nanjing being the first to implement this in March of this year. Smartphones, smart home appliances, and even future smart cars, anything labeled “smart” tends to evoke thoughts of “convenience”. However, the “smartwatch” provided by this sanitation company is not at all “convenient” for the workers; in fact, its actual purpose is far from the so-called “encouragement”.
The intention behind these measures may be to prevent individual sanitation workers from slacking off, but in practice, it may overlook the psychological needs of most sanitation workers. Some workers have expressed feeling like they are constantly being watched, akin to being monitored, which is uncomfortable. I just want to say, how can they be so kind-hearted? The smartwatch is indeed for monitoring sanitation workers, yes, monitoring! This term carries a purely negative connotation! If I were to describe sanitation workers with a few adjectives, they would surely be diligent, earnest, and down-to-earth. Yet, in certain areas of Nanjing, they are being monitored, which clearly shows a lack of trust in their humanity. I am truly indignant; don’t they have a conscience?
Whenever a sanitation worker stays in a certain area for too long, the watch automatically emits a piercing “fueling sound”. This is not just any fueling sound; it is probably the most embarrassing fueling sound in the world! I think this must be the most jarring fueling sound ever… The message behind this sound is that you should not rest; you should keep moving like a top. This is clearly a form of exploitation! As long as sanitation workers complete their cleaning tasks seriously, responsibly, and in a timely manner, there is no need to overly demand cleanliness details, lest it restrict their actions. Moreover, if sanitation workers are intent on “slacking off”, wouldn’t they find ways to evade detection?
【2】Sanitation Workers Become “Prey”!
Furthermore, if sanitation workers leave their work area during working hours, they will also be detected and deemed as violating regulations, and all violation data will be sent to various branches, facilitating management’s assessment of employees. This is not a smartwatch! It is simply a portable overseer… Some sanitation workers have even stated that if they stay still for too long, the watch will keep “shouting” at them, leading to someone rushing over, which inevitably results in a scolding. It is truly heartbreaking; being reduced to a bottom-tier worker is unavoidable! How does the smartwatch “report” on them? The truth is, it is an unscrupulous operation; the watch is equipped with GPS, which means sanitation workers are constantly being tracked like “prey”!
As long as sanitation workers wear this smartwatch, every move they make during work hours is monitored, regardless of whether it is sunny or rainy, whether it is scorching or stormy. They must labor continuously. Speaking of this, I can’t help but feel emotional! Are my parents also ordinary laborers? They “nag” us to study hard so that we can be treated kindly in the future!
In summer, sanitation workers are exposed to the blazing sun, and in winter, they are whipped by the merciless cold wind, while the overseers sit in air-conditioned offices, eating watermelon and “seriously” monitoring the workers! They can call up any worker’s whereabouts at will, knowing exactly how long they have stayed in any location. In essence, sanitation work should be results-oriented, rather than overly focused on “process management”. Many unpredictable situations can arise during sanitation operations, making it difficult for managers to set preemptive measures; thus, frontline sanitation workers should be given greater freedom.
For instance, in extreme weather conditions such as hail, heavy rain, or scorching sun, sanitation workers can completely stop working and temporarily seek shelter, resuming their tasks once the weather improves. In such situations, who can guarantee that the waiting time will not exceed twenty minutes? If it does, must sanitation workers work in the rain or snow? Some may ask, do sanitation workers need to report when they go to the restroom? How is this different from the old slave system? Just imagine the psychological burden on sanitation workers!
【3】Criticism from Netizens!
Working in urban environmental sanitation is a high-intensity physical labor, and these sanitation workers are generally older, so the physical toll is significant. Therefore, it is common to see some sanitation workers chatting or resting by the roadside; this is their unique and necessary way of resting. Most of the public fully understands this.
When the issue of Nanjing sanitation workers being forced to wear smartwatches was exposed in the media, I must say that netizens were not silent; they spoke out for the sanitation workers, who had to endure in silence to keep their jobs. The posts were filled with doubts and complaints about this behavior. Leaving aside the moral implications, the conditions for determining worker violations are unreasonable!
From a rational perspective, the movement of workers has no correlation with the cleanliness of their work. I would say this company deserves the criticism. Let’s not even discuss the ethics of monitoring employees; the very criteria for determining violations are problematic. For example, some sanitation workers have started to complain that:they have already cleaned certain areas, and if no new garbage appears within half an hour, they are forced to run back and forth to avoid penalties.
For instance, some sanitation workers mentioned that even when there is no garbage, they are forced to run back and forth to avoid punishment. You tell me, is this company insane? In response to the public’s doubts and criticisms, the management seems to have to come out and provide some semblance of an explanation, but don’t expect too much; otherwise, you will be disappointed!
They vaguely state that without such measures, how can we know if the workers are working diligently? I feel that this kind of monitoring has both pros and cons. On one hand, it can indeed urge employees to perform better, but on the other hand, it can easily create psychological pressure. Especially for sanitation workers, who are already burdened with heavy workloads, care should outweigh supervision. Due to public pressure, some companies have had to cancel the 20-minute reminder function, which is commendable. Technology should be used to facilitate people’s lives, so let’s forget about this “shackling” smartwatch!
However, in reality, this inhumane approach is not unique to this company; it is not the originator, but it is definitely typical! Besides using smartwatches to monitor workers, the phenomenon of using other technological products for surveillance is also common! For example, in certain sanitation companies in the Yuhuatai area of Nanjing, they cut two small holes in workers’ clothes and provide them with phones to install cameras, requiring them to stuff the phones into the pocket with holes during work hours for all-day monitoring.
Recently, reports have emerged from Bao’an District, Luohu District, and Futian District in Shenzhen about using technological products to monitor workers. When asked about the motivation behind such unreasonable methods, they shamelessly claimed that “this operation absolutely outweighs the disadvantages”! If decent, easy jobs come with high pay, it means that those who control the distribution of benefits, in order to maximize their own interests, not only share the pie but also get to choose first?Because labor behavior is closely related to human subjective consciousness, no matter how advanced the digital technology is, it cannot manage human subjective awareness.In summary, in the era of digital technology, while technology can be devoid of warmth, management with a humanistic attribute cannot lack warmth.
“Better to have one person dirty than to keep thousands clean,” refers to our sanitation workers. Although praised as “city yellow roses”,“road angels” and “city beauticians”. It does not change the fact that they work early and late, enduring the heat, cold, and rain. They do the work that others are unwilling to do, just to bring beauty to this city. For them, the greatest comfort and satisfaction is probably to gain understanding and respect from others.
Whether for sanitation workers or others, the same principle applies: our city becomes cleaner and more beautiful because of their day and night contributions. What attitude do all of you have towards such social phenomena?If you like this article, please follow our WeChat public account!~That’s all for this issue; feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below, and for more interesting content, please follow our public account! See you next time!~
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