A boss of a factory in China which closed down years ago has been praised for tracking down hundreds of people who worked there and paying them a share of a US$1-million compensation payout he received. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Baidu
BEIJING (SCMP): A company boss in China has shared a payout of nearly 8 million yuan (US$1 million) to more than 400 former employees even though his factory had been closed for 20 years.
He even paid those who had resigned and the families of others who had died.
Guo Chongzhi, 70, from Chongqing in central China, is the former director of the Chongqing General Valve Factory, which was established in 1971 with a workforce exceeding 400 at its peak.
However, the economic situation forced the factory to close in 2000 and the building was demolished in 2018 as part of the city’s municipal land acquisition plan.
In March last year, Guo received 7.7 million yuan in compensation for the demolished factory building. A sum of money that presented significant challenges regarding its distribution.
Guo believed that every former employee, whether retired, resigned or dead, deserved a share.
After extensive meetings, a decision was made to divide the compensation into two parts, 35 per cent for previous employees and 65 per cent for those still working immediately before the factory shutdown.
The amounts were then further divided based on each person’s time at the factory.
“That period was extremely stressful,” Guo reflected. “I almost had insomnia every night, waking up after just an hour of sleep. I lost about three kg in a fortnight.” Guo told Chongqing Daily News Group.
The level of compensation took years to work out and finally came through 20 years after the factory had closed. - Photo: Baidu via SCMP
Locating employees who had resigned, retired and died was a daunting task, given the factory had been shut down so long ago.
Guo employed various strategies to track down the people, including posting “missing persons” notices in the community and asking the police for contact information.
He also reached out to multiple media outlets, which successfully helped him find about 20 people.
One employee who had resigned, Wen Zhihong, was terminally ill and received the money just before she died.
“My mother had cancer and could no longer speak. My father brought the cash to her hospital bed to ease her mind. She passed away a few days after seeing the compensation. Our family is really grateful to Director Guo,” her son said.
Guo has compiled a distribution list of the 406 employees, with 371 having successfully received their compensation.
For the remaining 35 individuals who have yet to be located, Guo is turning to the media for help.
“Everything is in place for these employees – we’re just waiting for them to come forward, sign, and receive their money,” he said.
Guo’s gestures were widely praised by the online community in China.
“Others would find ways to avoid distributing the money, but he sought help from the media to locate the employees and distribute it to them. He is truly respectable,” one person wrote. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
