Annotation on the Issue of Annual Leave [I]
(July 1953)


(1) Adopt the two documents [2] and have the Central Committee and the Government Administration Council promptly issue notices.


(2) In view of this year’s circumstances, henceforth matters shall be handled according to formal orders.


(3) Fully estimate the unfavorable situations that may arise and carry out sufficient explanatory work.
[1]


This annotation was written on the report of the Party Group of the Ministry of Labour of the Central People’s Government, dated July 4, 1953, concerning the handling methods for wages, year-end double pay, and annual leave in state-owned enterprises, submitted to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee. In addition to these three annotations, Mao also wrote on the report such phrases as “time-rate and piece-rate,” “give appropriate consideration to the peasants,” and “famine and the Korean War.”
[2]


Refers to the Directive of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Issues of Wages, Year-End Double Pay, and Annual Leave in State-Owned Enterprises, dated July 9, 1953, and the Propaganda Directive of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Issues of Wages and Year-End Double Pay in State-Owned Enterprises, dated July 30, 1953.


The Central Committee’s directive stated: This year, the domestic rural famine situation is quite serious; as of May, the affected area had reached over 110 million mu, with more than 40 million disaster victims requiring necessary relief. Although there is hope for a temporary ceasefire in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, a ceasefire does not equate to the attainment of peace; the volunteer army cannot yet be swiftly withdrawn, and it is unlikely that national defense expenditures can be significantly reduced. Moreover, planned national economic construction has already begun, and it is necessary to accumulate essential funds for investment in industry, especially heavy industry construction. Therefore, the Central Committee has decided that in state-owned enterprises, no comprehensive wage adjustments will be carried out, standard wages will generally remain unchanged, and the system of year-end double pay (or year-end bonuses) will be abolished, while the universal implementation of the annual leave system will be temporarily postponed.


The Central Committee’s propaganda directive stated: The Central Committee’s decision not to carry out universal wage adjustments in state-owned enterprises this year, to abolish the system of year-end double pay (or year-end bonuses), and to temporarily postpone the implementation of the annual leave system is entirely based on the long-term interests and overall interests of the working class. However, because these measures mean that part of the immediate and partial interests of the worker masses cannot be satisfied, there will certainly be many difficulties if they are implemented by simple command methods.
Therefore, it is necessary to rely on sufficient propaganda and explanatory work to implement these measures. As long as extensive and in-depth propaganda and explanatory work is conducted among all cadres and the worker masses, the implementation of these measures will not only avoid causing discontent among the worker masses but will also further enhance their level of political consciousness and labor enthusiasm.