Photo: People take pictures next to the sign for the defunct Ministry of Railways.
Source:CFP
By Chen Yong (陳勇)
Issue 614, April 8, 2013
News, cover
Translated by Zhu Na
Mr. Quan of the former Ministry of Railways is still waiting to find out what will happen to him.
In March, the State Council announced that the Ministry of Railways would be dissolved and that its administrative and business functions would be separated. This came after years of scandals involving corruption, nepotism and inefficiency that the public chalked up to the unchecked railway monopoly. But this restructuring has the defunct ministry’s 2 million employees wondering what will happen to their jobs.
On Mar 14, China Railway Corporation (CRC) was established to handle the business operations of China's passenger and freight rail services. The newly established CRC has been set up with registered capital of 1.04 trillion yuan. The assets, debts and personnel of the former Ministry of Railways were also assigned to CRC, along with the 18 railway bureaus and three professional transport companies. The former Railway Ministry’s regulatory functions will go to the Ministry of Transport and its inspection work to the State Railways Administration.
Transport Minister Yang Chuantang (楊傳堂) said that the 903 civil servants from the former Ministry of Railways will be relocated - some to CRC, some to the Ministry of Transport or the National Railway Bureau, and some will join local railway bureaus. The specific details about how to implement these transfers haven’t been decided yet.
Since the day he heard about the restructuring, Mr. Quan has felt uneasy. His boss recently pulled him aside to ask that he obey whatever relocation arrangement he gets, and to be a model party member. Although he wasn’t at all happy about the situation, Quan kept his mouth shut. He’ll supposedly get a higher salary once he’s relocated, but that hasn’t put his mind at ease.
Quan was born in the 1950s and has worked in the Ministry of Railways for half his life as a civil servant. He’s just recently learned how to use the internet from his son so he can browse news reports and railway forums for clues about where he’ll end up.
New Enterprise
Employees of local railway bureaus have been especially concerned about the implications of restructuring. Some have said that those with good connections are trying to find a way out of the railway system.
Mr. Zhou, who works at the Shanghai railway bureau, said that there won’t be any immediate changes, but if local bureaus become regional corporations they will change.
Zhou works at a tourism company under the Shanghai bureau’s control with more than 1,000 employees. When they heard about the restructuring, many were concerned, but they soon calmed down.
Zhou says many local railway bureaus have in fact been operating based on the enterprise model for years. His Shanghai railway bureau for example, has 19 companies involving tourism, publishing, commerce and trade.
“People all say it will be good to change into enterprises,” Zhou says. “But local railway bureaus have always operated as enterprises. Few people from the outside know this.”
The day before the Ministry of Railway’s sign was taken down from its headquarters, Zhou made a special trip to Beijing to take one last picture in front of it. Mr. Quan, meanwhile, sat quietly at his home.
“What should come will come,” Quan said. “Judging from the history of railway reform, it doesn’t happen in one step. It depends on many external forces to really get done.”
