Pinduoduo confirmed the deaths of two young workers recently, sparking debate over a culture of overworking in China’s tech companies. A ‘996’ work schedule of 12 hours a day, six days a week has become an unwritten standard for many of the country’s tech firms.
The dark side of working for China’s booming technology industry is under the spotlight again amid public criticism of social commerce giant Pinduoduo in the wake of two employee deaths, with many fearing the infamous 996 culture has become worse and not better due to pressure from the pandemic.
Pinduoduo, a rapidly expanding online sales firm, first found itself at the centre of a storm following the death of a 22-year-old woman surnamed Zhang, who was working at one of its new business units in Urumqi, on Dec 29 last year. Pinduoduo released a statement on Zhang’s death on Jan 4 and the same week, it said another young worker, surnamed Tan, jumped to his death in his hometown of Changsha.
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is to step up inspections of tracks and double down on compliance with railway repair standard operating procedures (SOPs) to maximize railway safety, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
The comments came after TRA personnel reported three separate instances of cracked rails since Thursday, when a cold air mass reached Taiwan.
Cracked rails were found on Thursday between Yunlin County’s Douliou City (斗六) and Dounan Township (斗南), and on Friday on the Hualien-Taitung line, and between Taitung County’s Chihshang Township (池上) and Hualien County’s Fuli Township (富里), the TRA said.
Yesterday, cracked rails were
TRA boss explains NT$8.84m spent on books
By Yang Chun-hui
and Cheng Wei-chi / Staff reporters
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday called on Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) Director-General Chang Chen-yuan (張政源) to provide an explanation after the TRA was criticized for spending NT$8.84 million (US$310,644) on publications allegedly extolling his personal achievements.
The agency on Wednesday published a set of four Chinese-language books titled Train for Change (一張通往改變的車票), which expand on the agency’s reforms over the past two years.
However, some local media reported that the books might be aimed at touting Chang’s achievements before his retirement next week.