WITH temperatures plunging to -10°C in many parts of China, street cleaners are being worked to the bone, shovelling snow from the roads.
China Press reported that many of the cleaners are forced to wear GPS devices which the cleaning companies use to closely monitor their movements.
They are reportedly liable to a fine if found to be taking unauthorised breaks, sparking a backlash among Internet users.
The news came to light when a concerned passerby asked a sweeper in Shanxi province if he managed to take a break in such bad weather.
The worker said he was required to wear a GPS tracking device and that he must follow a route his company had set.
He added that his movements were monitored in real time via the company’s backend system.
“If I don’t move, I will be fined,” he said.
Many Internet users were outraged at the revelation, saying that this was a form of abuse.
“Technology should not be used to mistreat people,” one netizen wrote.
Many pointed out that proving attendance was no longer simply punching in and out, calling the practice of GPS tracking “inhumane”.
When contacted, the Yuncheng city sanitation centre in Shaanxi said the tracker was used as a means to ensure worker safety.
While it confirmed that it was used to make sure cleaners do not take prolonged rest, the company denied issuing a fine to anyone “for simply not moving”.
