Model worker is a glorious title and a spiritual coordinate. Model workers inspire people with their exemplary actions, and the spirit of model workers has become the spiritual driving force to encourage people to work hard.
On November 24, 2020, the national commendation meeting for model workers and advanced workers was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In his important speech, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out that in the long-term practice, we have cultivated and formed the spirit of model workers who love their jobs, strive for first-class, work hard, be brave in innovation, be indifferent to fame and fortune, and be willing to contribute, the spirit of advocating labor, loving labor, hard work and honest labor, and the spirit of craftsmen who are persistent, dedicated, meticulous and pursuing Excellence.
Speaking of model workers, people can always flash many brilliant images in their hearts. Shi Chuanxiang, Iron Man Wang Jinxi, Blast Furnace Defender Meng Tai, Father of Hybrid Rice Yuan Longping, Taihang Hero Shen Jilan, Grab King Bao Qifan, Contemporary Yugong Li Shuangliang, Worker Professor Dou Tiecheng, and Gold Medal Worker Xu Zhenchao … At every stage of the development of new China, there are labor models emerging. Their model worker spirit, which is condensed by excellent labor, is a vivid embodiment of the spirit of the times, leads the trend of social values, and is a powerful spiritual driving force to inspire the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups in China to advance bravely, rain or shine.
The spirit of model workers embodies the spirit of the times.
In the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out that "we should build an army of knowledge-based, skilled and innovative laborers, carry forward the spirit of model workers and craftsmen, and create a glorious social fashion of labor and a professional atmosphere of striving for perfection".
People make history and labor makes life. Advocating labor is our glorious tradition. The selection of labor model is a unique cultural phenomenon in socialist countries, which shows the affirmation of the working people and the labor value created by the party and the state. Model worker is an honor with unique meaning. The spirit of model workers is an important spiritual style for people to learn and practice in the new era.
Li Ruiyi, deputy director of the Research Office of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, explained the rich connotation of the spirit of model workers to reporters word by word. She said that the spirit of model workers who love their jobs, strive for first-class, struggle hard, be brave in innovation, be indifferent to fame and fortune, and be willing to contribute is a vivid portrayal of the professional quality, professional ability and professional quality of model workers in production practice, and contains rich core value elements.
A simple summary of 24 words, each sentence contains rich meaning. Li Ruiyi explained that loving one’s post and striving for first-class means treating one’s post with a respectful attitude, loving one’s work, and striving for better performance through one’s own efforts. This is an attitude towards occupation and a basic element in the spirit of model workers. Struggle hard and be brave in innovation refers to being able to overcome difficulties and hardships in work, make unremitting efforts to achieve certain goals, dare to be the first, break through convention and create new production conditions, methods and achievements through innovation in thinking, knowledge and technology, which is the core element of the model worker spirit. Being indifferent to fame and fortune and being willing to contribute means being willing, silently sticking to it, working wholeheartedly, not pursuing fame and self-interest, regardless of gains and losses, and not seeking returns. These are the value elements of the model worker spirit.
Li Ruiyi said that many model workers are ordinary workers and farmers, all from the front line. With simple feelings and sincere labor, they have become models admired by the masses. The spirit of model workers shows the firm political stance, strong sense of ownership, selfless labor enthusiasm and good professional ethics of the advanced elements in the working class and the broad masses of working people, which embodies a high degree of politics.
Rich development of model worker spirit in inheritance
On April 28th, 2013, the national forum for representatives of model workers was held in the All-China Federation of Trade Unions on Chang ‘an Avenue in Beijing. Liang Jun, the first female tractor driver in New China with white hair, said with emotion that she came to Beijing in 1950 to participate in the model worker commendation meeting. After more than 60 years, she was very moved to participate in the model worker representative meeting again.
Liang Jun’s speech left a deep impression on people, and also spoke of an old model worker’s unchanging sense of honor in the years. At every historical stage when the Party led the people, a large number of model workers stood out. The selection of model workers has accompanied us through different historical stages. It is these model workers who, with their extraordinary labor, gave birth to an exciting model worker spirit.
Some researchers pointed out that the phenomenon of model workers came into being in the revolutionary period of 1930s. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, some Soviet areas carried out production campaigns in full swing, and production competitions appeared. The word "model worker" first appeared on the hat as a prize of labor competition in the Soviet area.
In the 1940s, Yan ‘an launched a vigorous mass production campaign. In this movement, a large number of model workers, such as Zhao Zhankui, a worker in the border area, and Wu Yunduo, a pioneer in ordnance industry, emerged. They treated new labor with a new attitude and enriched the connotation of model workers’ spirit.
Shortly after the founding of New China, the National Conference of Model Workers of Workers, Peasants and Soldiers was held on September 25th, 1950. This meeting not only commended more than 400 model workers, but also decided to "form a fixed system for selecting model workers". As a system, the appraisal and commendation of model workers persisted, and the spirit of model workers also developed continuously.
The spirit of model workers has always been enriched with the development of the times. Entering the period of reform and opening up, our understanding of model workers has also been expanded. Not only pay attention to the selection and training of model workers at the grass-roots level, but also pay attention to whether they have played a significant role in promoting the development of productive forces and made greater contributions to the cause of socialist construction. Productivity standards occupy a certain position in the selection of model workers. In 2005, the national commendation meeting for model workers and advanced workers first expressed the scientific connotation of model workers’ spirit in 24 words, namely, "love and respect their posts, strive for first-class, work hard, be brave in innovation, be indifferent to fame and fortune, and be willing to contribute".
Over the past 40 years, in the great practice of reform and opening up, the spirit of model workers has been given a new meaning of the times and carried forward. Generation after generation of model workers diligently learn technology and practice skills, persist in concentration and pursue Excellence, and become the spiritual vane of society, influencing and inspiring the broad masses of workers.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the spirit of model workers has been constantly enriched in the great practice of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and has become the values that lead people to work hard for a better life. On October 29, 2018, when talking collectively with the members of the new leadership team of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out that the model workers are the elite of the nation and the model of the people. Artisans in big countries are highly skilled personnel in the workforce.
The spirit of model workers inspires people to move forward bravely.
Behind every model worker, there is a touching story. Every model worker is deeply loved by the masses.
Shen Jilan, a famous model worker in China, lived in the mountain village called Xigou in the depths of Taihang Mountain all his life. She said many times: "It’s not that Xigou can’t live without me, it’s that I can’t live without Xigou." Since the 1950s, she led the masses to establish agricultural cooperatives, and worked with village cadres to implement the household contract responsibility system, set up township enterprises, and afforest barren hills. She worked with the masses, suffered together and enjoyed together all her life.
Li Shuangliang, a national model worker known as the "local foolish old man", did not need any investment from the state, and led the workers in the slag yard to remove the slag mountain, which has been sleeping for more than half a century and covers an area of 2.3 square kilometers, and created their own equipment to produce various waste residue extension products. Since then, he has led the workers to build a large garden with trees and beautiful environment in the same place, which fundamentally solved the problem of slag dumping in TISCO.
Li Bin, a national model worker known as a "worker expert", was an employee of Shanghai Hydraulic Pump Factory before his death. With his own efforts, he grew from a technical school graduate to an expert in numerical control application. He also taught himself German, and with his professional knowledge, he saved millions of yuan for the country in the negotiation of technology introduction with foreign businessmen. He said: "learning knowledge and skills is only my first step. It is my ultimate pursuit to innovate with knowledge and skills and create greater benefits for enterprises and countries."
Model workers in different periods all represent the direction of social development in a period. Every model worker has outstanding labor skills, and at the same time lives among the masses and is supported by the public. The combination of progressiveness and mass is the common feature of model workers in China.
Carry forward the spirit of model workers in the whole society and let more people know about model workers. Li Ruiyi believes that it is very important to widely publicize the advanced deeds of model workers and let the masses feel that model workers are approachable and can be learned. Model workers come from and are familiar with the masses. Propagandizing the deeds of model workers is the most vivid spiritual education of model workers. In order to create an atmosphere of learning from model workers and loving labor in the whole society, we should continue to publicize the deeds and spirit of model workers.
Nowadays, learning the spirit of model workers and loving labor have been written into primary and secondary school textbooks. Model worker spirit is the best teaching material for labor education. It is necessary to extensively carry out mass activities and integrate the spirit of model workers into mass activities. Only in this way can the masses learn from and strive to be model workers, and better promote the spirit of model workers to be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Of course, on the other hand, it is also necessary to better safeguard the rights and interests of workers, build a labor industry army, and lay a solid social foundation for model worker education. (Reporter Wei Yonggang)