樓繼偉批評勞動合同法弊端引爭議

China’s finance minister has come under fire after he proposed changing a labour law he said was overprotective of employees and inflexible to business.

中國財政部長受到抨擊，原因是他提議修改一部勞動法律，稱其對僱員保護過頭，對企業不靈活。

Lou Jiwei’s remarks on national television on March 7 caused a storm on social media, with many Chinese venting their frustration at a government they say is out of touch with their concerns.

樓繼偉3月7日在全國電視臺發表的這番言論在社交媒體上引發軒然大波，許多中國人藉此機會發泄自己對政府的失望，他們認爲政府與羣衆關心的問題脫節。

“He represents the backward forces, sweatshops and those small workshops that should long have been eliminated,” a user named Du Jian said in one characteristic post on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “Lou is holding China back and wants to keep us reined to the tattered wagon of the sweatshop!”

“他代表着反動勢力、血汗工廠以及那些早該被淘汰的小作坊，”新浪微博（中國版的Twitter）用戶杜建（音）在一個有代表性的帖子中表示。“樓正在阻礙中國的前進步伐，想要讓我們被綁在血汗工廠的破車上！”

The working class, which once enjoyed cradle-to-grave security and entitlements known as an iron rice bowl, has been increasingly squeezed by rising housing prices and slowing wage growth as the economy cools.

隨着中國經濟放緩，一度享有從搖籃到墳墓的保障和“鐵飯碗”的工人階級日益受到房價上漲和薪酬增長緩慢的擠壓。

It is highly unusual for a sitting Chinese minister to attract such public criticism. The lack of action by internet censors suggests either that China’s much maligned deMocracy is more vibrant than it is often given credit for, or the government has yet to decide how to respond.

中國的一個現任部長招致這樣的公衆批評是極不尋常的。中國的網絡審查部門沒有刪貼似乎表明，要麼是中國飽受詬病的民主氣氛比外界所想象的更爲活躍，要麼是政府尚未決定如何迴應。

Mr Lou’s championing of business concerns over workers’ rights is also a measure of how far the Communist party has moved ideologically during decades of market reform.

樓繼偉重視企業關心的問題甚於工人權利，還反映出經過幾十年的市場化改革後，共產黨在意識形態上發生了多大的轉變。

“An employee may not work hard and the law makes it difficult for the employer to deal with it by, for example, firing him or her,” Mr Lou said on Monday. “That prevents another prospective employee from taking the position.”

“一個職工如果工作不努力，企業很難對他進行處理，比如解僱，”樓繼偉週一表示。“那麼位置就被佔着，對新入職的就形成歧視。”

Ultimately, he said, making it easier to fire workers would benefit the workers.

他表示，歸根結底，降低解僱難度對勞動者是有利的。

“Who eventually bears the costs? The working class who the law was intended to protect,” he said.

“誰最終承受代價？這部法律本來要保護的工人階級，”他說。

Many of China’s online community failed to see his logic.

中國的很多網民看不懂他的邏輯。

“Have him investigated,” said Se Kong Se Kong, another Weibo user. “He’s no good if he’s speaking on behalf of the capitalists!”

“好好查查他，”另一個微博用戶Se Kong Se Kong表示。“代表資本家講話就不是好人！”