Chapter 62 Prelude to the Great Change

Song Duan sighed: "I always thought that my mine was sympathetic to workers, at least in terms of safety. But the previous time my father took someone to travel to Europe and the United States, and I was very moved. The British company was researching and producing shower equipment for mine workers. I care about workers so much that they care about workers. How can workers not work hard? On the other hand, in our country, workers are all refugees without land and are desperate to eat, and mine owners also knock on bones and squeeze marrow to make money.

, ignore the worker's life and death, no wonder there are always miners everywhere causing trouble. So our mine has put some effort into improving workers' food and accommodation, standardizing work hours, and medical care. Workers are grateful for their kindness, working hard, and the efficiency of ore mining, refining efficiency, and recovery rate, and double the efficiency. Although it is helped by improved technology, the improvement in management cannot be considered."

Li Guoxiang also nodded with deep emotion: "My Li family has always been a farmer before, and I know a lot about the exchanges between the eastern and westerners. In recent years, civil rights have gradually emerged, especially after the establishment of the Farmers Association, farmers no longer serve as mermaids. We should also comfort the workers in the agricultural company. The workers work hard before they work, otherwise they will be slaughtering..."

Zheng Yu smiled: "I have some ideas and am about to discuss with you."

Everyone was excited and looked at this unfathomable young crown prince.

"You all know Bismarck, right?"

Everyone nodded, and Li Guoxiang said: "Germany Iron-blooded Prime Minister has created the German Empire with one hand and is famous in history. How can I not know?"

Zheng Yu smiled: "Then what is the greatest thing he has done in his life?"

"Nature is to unify Germany."

"There is one thing that is as great as this one. What do you think?"

Li Guoxiang was stunned. Song Duan and others also shook their heads.

"It's social security." Zheng Yu sighed, "Bismarck is indeed a peerless hero. He was the first person in Europe to propose systematic social security legislation. In 1883 AD, the German "Health Insurance Law" was passed. According to the law, employers need one-third of the insurance premium and two-thirds of the insurance premium for employees. When employees are sick, they can get at least thirteen weeks of free medical treatment."

"In the second year, the "Work Injury Insurance Law" was passed. It stipulates that the insurance premiums will be paid by the employers and employees of the government enterprises. After the work-related accident, the medical expenses in the first thirteen weeks will be borne by the institution that complies with the Health Insurance Law, and the subsequent expenses will be borne by the institution that complies with the Work-related accident insurance law. If a completely disabled worker is also completely disabled, he can still get two-thirds of his original salary every month. Two years later, farmers will also be included in the "Work Injury Insurance Law."

"In addition, in 18** AD, the Pension Law was finally approved, including workers, farmers, craftsmen, waiters, etc. The government, enterprises and employees jointly bear the pension. It was also after the establishment of the social security system by King Bismarck, other European countries followed suit. The UK had just promulgated the Unemployed Workers Act, France promulgated the Mandatory Retirement Act for four years, and the Professional Insurance Act at the beginning of this year. Norway formulated the Workers' Social Insurance System for five years, and Denmark implemented the Workers' Insurance Act for eight years."

Zheng Yu said: "German's industry and commerce can flourish because of these social security regulations, which make workers and farmers lose their worries, dare to consume, activate the domestic market, and promote the prosperity of industry and commerce. With a series of protections, workers have greatly increased their attractiveness to rural labor, and labor shortage has become history. In addition, workers' work enthusiasm is also rising, technological innovation and process innovation are surging, and Germany's technical level in manufacturing has also made rapid progress."

Song Duan chewed these words carefully and looked at Zheng Yu again, and was already admired and shocked. He already understood that Zheng Yu was going to do a big article, to make a fundamental change in the entire social ecology, industry and business, and he also keenly realized that this change must touch the interests of many people, but once it succeeds, I am afraid that China will be the Oriental Germany.

Liu Ziwen's eyes were already lit up. He realized that if this set could be implemented, the governance cycle that has plagued the country for many years and the change of dynasties would probably be able to solve such a society. Although it is not a human harmony, it can really be regarded as "the old age has something to support and the illness has a basis for it."

Li Guoxiang frowned slightly: "Your Highness... Fourth brother, will this burden be too heavy for the national finance, especially for enterprises? Although the empire's industry and commerce have developed, it is not considered a big tree and the profit is still meager. I don't oppose this, I am afraid that it will be implemented rashly, and some improvements will be made."

Zheng Yu was not angry, but nodded happily: "Third brother expected. The cost of social security reform does require all parties to bear some expenses. In addition, you have a saying that the army, the employee side, I will not allow him to pay for the time being. That is, although the employee nominally pays a part, it is necessary to ensure that the income obtained by the employees after the reform is the same as before the reform... In other words, the costs are actually paid by the government and enterprises."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone stared at the crown prince in amazement.

Looking at Li Guoxiang who was stunned and full of suspicion, Zheng Yu smiled and said, "In our society, most people are stubborn and always have instinctive suspicion of any new things. But this is no wonder the people. For thousands of years, the new policies that have been struggling with by the government have almost become strange things to exploit the people in different ways, and the people are really scared of being cheated. In my opinion, the credit of the government is the most important. The reform involves too many interests, which is easy to cause criticism. If someone adds fuel to the fire and uses the reason why the people deduct part of their income and pays insurance to incite the people to cause trouble, this matter will be troublesome."

"So it is absolutely impossible to reduce the income that workers get." Zheng Yu said, "but to use this guarantee to replace wage increases, and we must also promulgate before large-scale domestic workers to resolve the opposition into invisible."

Li Guoxiang and Song Duan looked at each other and nodded.

Li Guoxiang still had no doubts: "This is good, but the problems of enterprises and government are even bigger. Now the annual deficit of the government's fiscal year is that it can only rely on issuing bonds. I have to fight such a battle. I calculated that the newly approved military budget is still not enough, not to mention that there are still more than 600 million yuan in the budget. In terms of enterprises, some industries have reached bottlenecks and insufficient demand. Once a war begins, the maritime trade may be affected again. The royal family has strong funds and has always treated workers in the industry. These costs can naturally be afforded. But what about other factories? For example, light textiles, Indian goods, Japanese goods, Jewish goods from Annan and Shanghai in recent years, and factories set up by Britain and the United States in China, they are all fighting to the point of being bloody, but they have just stabilized their status and started to counterattack. If this happens, many factories may not have the money to expand production. If there are any more troubles, such as foreigners lower prices, many people may not be able to hold on."

Zheng Yu smiled and said, "My second brother is really straightforward. However, I know more about politics than you. I also have some ideas about finance. I have time to discuss with you. In terms of corporate affairs, it is indeed a problem, but there are two things here."

Zheng Yu looked around everyone and said calmly: "First, I will not implement this matter immediately, but first instructed the relevant departments to form a research team to investigate the construction of foreign systems, conduct research in combination with national conditions, and strive to launch it after the war, and start from the pilot, not to launch it all at once. This cause is a great change in China that has never been seen in history and a comprehensive refresh of the overall appearance of the country's industrial and commercial situation. We must be careful."

"Second, the third brother mentioned just now that strengthening guarantees and improving the working conditions of workers can in itself stimulate workers to improve labor efficiency and make them cherish their work more, which will increase the income of the enterprise." Zheng Yu said, "There is another more important thing. With these guarantee construction, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will have a great attraction to self-cultivated farmers and tenant farmers. More farmers will go to the city to work, which is not only conducive to the overall development of the country, but also for enterprises, there are more workers to use, which will not only promote workers, but also have a strong voice in wages. On the surface, you have increased your salary, but maybe the original job of two people is enough for one person now, and the quality is better. Who is the loss and who makes money? In fact, no one is at a loss, it is a win-win situation for labor and capital."

When everyone heard this, they all thought deeply. After a moment, Liu Ziwen sucked his hands and praised: "The fourth brother is indeed an extraordinary person. I also think that the empire must do this policy and truly build this guarantee system. The country's long-term peace and stability will have a foundation. Our people must regard the country as their home, be grateful to the emperor's grace, be grateful to the government, work together to build a prosperous and prosperous empire. The prosperity of our China can be seen in this way, which will be glorious for the achievements that have been celebrated for generations and have been famous for the eternal period. If you have any use of brother, you can say it."

"In fact, there is another thing that is related to the thousand-year foundation of our empire." As soon as Zheng Yu said this, everyone gathered to look at the prince who surprised everyone tonight. "The empire has completed its initial capital accumulation, built a relatively complete industrial system, and has a certain ability to expand itself, namely machinery and equipment manufacturing. Then the next step of industrialization can no longer rely on low-priced exports. The empire's dependence on foreign exchange is no longer as strong as before."

"The biggest problem facing the empire will continue to be industrialization," Zheng Yu's eyes were bright and his spirit was solemn. "A big country, such a big country, does not lack land, resources, and labor, can also produce some equipment by itself. Once industrialization is rolled out, this take-off speed will be very amazing. I am afraid that Germany and the United States will be stunned in the future."

Everyone thought for a while and nodded. This truth sounded shocking, but it was indeed reasonable after thinking about it.

"But at that time, who will we sell a large number of products to?" Zheng Yu said this, and everyone was stunned. "If we rely on exports as we do now, we will inevitably have a fierce trade conflict with Europe and the United States, and it will inevitably affect the development of the empire and even national security. Under the impact of low-priced products in the empire, once European and American workers are unemployed, this trend is incited. The chaebols and militants of the European powers will incite public opinion and use national hatred for China to divert internal conflicts and the contradictions between European powers. At that time, the possibility of their military actions against China will increase, and they may even conduct joint attacks on China. After all, whether it is national feelings or economic interests, their unanimity will be stronger."

"Even if we make every effort to strengthen national defense and let the great powers be afraid of it, if the great powers adopt trade blockade on me, even if it is just high tariffs, our exports will be unsustainable. At that time, the empire will not be able to digest such a large amount of production capacity, industry and commerce are closed, and workers have no life. What should we do? Will we rely on government to digest it?" Zheng Yu shook his head, "This economic crisis is vivid in everyone's mind, it is nothing more than the lack of global overproduction demand. This time the empire relies on expanding political expenses and supporting it by expanding military and infrastructure construction. However, the government's finances are already very dangerous, with inflation, soaring prices, heavy debts, and even aggravated the corruption of domestic officials and breeding systemic **. Will we still take this path in the future? It is undoubtedly the empire's pursuit of death."

"A country as huge as the empire must take a path of the rise of a great power. After the initial accumulation stage of accumulating foreign exchange through exports, purchasing equipment and technology, and building a relatively complete industrial system, the country can no longer rely solely on exports." Zheng Yu paused and said frankly, "For the empire, the next stage, it must take a path of digging out domestic demand."

Zheng Yu looked around everyone and said firmly: "With the deepening of compulsory education, the popularization of vocational skills training, the improvement of machinery and equipment, production processes, and management system, the production efficiency of the empire will become higher and higher. It is also necessary to gradually increase workers' wages to ensure that workers have sufficient consumption capacity, so that those who produce goods can afford the goods they produce, and realize the self-circulation on both sides of supply and demand. This is the fundamental principle of the future economic development of the empire."

"Only this path is the kingly way that suits a large economy like the empire." Zheng Yu smiled. "This security system allows workers to treat their illnesses and have a care for their old age, eliminates their biggest concerns, and can help them improve their sense of belonging to the empire, increase their confidence in life, and naturally improves production efficiency, and the society will become more and more stable. With the increase in wages in the future, these people's consumption capacity will become stronger and stronger. Those with constant income will have perseverance, and our society will be stable. Everyone can be at ease to pursue their ideals and live the life they want to live. This country will become stronger and stronger, and reviving China will no longer be an out of reach."
Chapter completed!