Since the reform and opening up, China's economy has made tremendous progress, but this progress has also been accompanied by a series of social problems, one of which is the suffering of laid-off workers. For a time, laid-off workers became a vulnerable group in society, they lost their original jobs, and suffered from both economic and psychological pressure. So, who is responsible for the suffering of laid-off workers?Why do they sign voluntary severance to buy out seniority?
First of all, the suffering of laid-off workers is not something that can be done by one person, but is affected by many factors. In the process of China's economic transformation, many traditional industries have gradually declined, leading to the closure of a large number of enterprises and layoffs. These businesses are often unable to adapt to changes in the market and lack competitiveness, forcing them to resort to layoffs to reduce costs. In addition, with the advancement of technology and the adjustment of the industrial structure, the positions in some old industries have become redundant, resulting in more laid-off workers. Therefore, we can say that the suffering of laid-off workers is the result of the adjustment of the entire social and economic structure and the inevitable result of market changes and technological progress.
Second, why do laid-off workers sign voluntary resignation to buy out their seniority?This is closely related to China's social security system and employment policy. In the past era of planned economy, the state often directly arranged and provided jobs and welfare benefits for workers, and workers enjoyed relatively stable employment and welfare guarantees. However, after the reform and opening up, China gradually established a market economy system, and the employment and welfare of workers were gradually determined by the market. During this transitional period, the reform and privatization of state-owned enterprises became the norm, resulting in a large number of laid-off workers. In order to reduce the burden on enterprises and reduce the number of unemployed, a series of policies have been implemented, such as the policy of voluntary resignation and buyout of seniority. This policy encourages laid-off workers to voluntarily leave their jobs and receive certain economic compensation and social security benefits. For some laid-off workers, signing a voluntary separation agreement is their only option in exchange for a relatively stable compensation and future social security.
However, there are also some problems and controversies in the policy of voluntary separation and buyout of seniority. First of all, some laid-off workers do not fully understand their rights and interests and protections when they sign the agreement, and are prone to some unreasonable treatment. Second, for some older laid-off workers, the future social security may not be able to fully cover their living needs. In addition, in order to reduce costs, some enterprises have adopted mandatory voluntary resignation measures, forcing some laid-off workers to sign agreements in desperation, which has undoubtedly exacerbated the suffering of laid-off workers.
To sum up, the suffering of laid-off workers is the result of the adjustment of the entire social and economic structure and the inevitable result of market changes and technological progress. As a means to deal with the problem of laid-off workers, the policy of voluntary resignation and buy-out of seniority has reduced the burden on enterprises and reduced the number of unemployed to a certain extent. However, for laid-off workers, signing a voluntary separation agreement is a reluctant option, and they face both financial and psychological pressures. Therefore, we need to further improve the social security system, strengthen care and support for laid-off workers, and provide them with more employment opportunities and development space to alleviate their suffering.