China jobs: further cracks appear in iron rice bowl as bus operator ponders asking staff to become entrepreneurs
- State-backed Zhengzhou Public Transport Group is seeking internal opinions on its plan to encourage employees to start their own businesses
- Jobs with public sector or state-owned firms have been seen to offer greater security, but the so-called iron rice bowl is now seen as less stable
As millions of young people in China vie for civil service jobs amid rising uncertainty in the private sector, a state-backed bus company in the central province of Henan has sent an unsettling message that the security once seen as guaranteed by the iron rice bowl could also be compromised.
Screenshots of the notice from the Zhengzhou Public Transport Group circulated online last week, highlighting its intention to seek internal opinion on its plan to encourage employees to start their own businesses.
The purpose, the document said, was “to further ease the group’s operating and financial pressure”.
For staff who have been working in the company for 10 years or more, they can apply for unpaid leave for up to two years to form their new business, according to the document.
Staff confirmed the existence of the document, but said the decision was not official as the company was still soliciting suggestions from employees, according to Chinese media reports.