It was a bold, even desperate attempt by China’s leaders to cut the shocking death toll in its pits: send the bosses down the shaft with the miners.
But Chinese media reported on Tuesday that one mine had responded by appointing substitutes, increasing cynicism about whether senior mine staff would comply.
The order from Chinese premier Wen Jiabao was apparently prompted by an increase in the high death toll in the country’s mines after several years of sharp decline.
More than 2 600 deaths were recorded last year, down from a peak of almost 7 000 in 2002. But there were 1 261 in the first half of this year; an increase from 1 175 in the same period last year. It is thought the increase refl ects pressure to produce as economic recovery raises demand.
Wen ordered the new policy in July, though the China Daily said the regulation only came into effect next month. Pit “leaders” must go below ground with miners or face fines of up to 80% of their annual income.
Although many admire the intention, they are already questioning compliance levels since Wen’s announcement, pointing to fatal accidents in which mining offi cials have been unharmed.
“Who knew that every boss who goes into the shaft is a god: flooding, explosions, whatever it is, they can always fly free,” read a scathing commentary from the state news agency Xinhua last month.
China Daily reported this week that bosses at a pit in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region promoted seven workers to the level of “assistants to managers” to enter the mine instead.
Li Jian, a manager at the privately owned Hongshan Chaoyang coalmining company, told China Daily that the rule did not define exactly who constituted a leader, but said the term applied to “important people in charge, members of the leadership and chief and deputy chief engineers”.
He said: “We chose only those whom we deemed eligible and experienced to effectively supervise and ensure safe underground production. If our move is wrong, we’ll correct it.”
Another employee in the management office told the Guardian the assistants were promoted because they were qualified and experienced technicians, not because of the policy.
But he pointed out: “The big leaders and bosses have other important things to do. We cannot have everyone underground, otherwise how do we conduct our work?” —