"Sanitation workers can always be recruited if they are not good enough, but it is very difficult to recruit someone who can do it by rolling up their sleeves in the face of rubbish, and who can handle coordinating work in the face of uncles and aunts, and who understand management and innovation." — —

Why did these sisters choose to be sanitation workers?

  Our reporter Chen Hua Our correspondent Shi Yuansheng

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  "Why can't I become a sanitation worker after graduating from a bachelor's degree?" In 2018, 29-year-old Si Lili started working in sanitation and became an official sanitation worker.

Every time she met relatives and friends asking her why, she wanted to use these words to go back to the past, but in most cases, she still held back.

  Now, facing the same problem, not only would she speak out, but her tone was a little more indifferent and firm.

  In Hefei Qicheng Ronghao Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. located in Yaohai District, Hefei City, Anhui Province, since the two daughters of old sanitation worker Chen Hongying, Si Lili and Si Guoqing, joined the same company and became sanitation workers, everyone has been talking about it. In her 20s, a girl who graduated from a bachelor degree, why should she be a sanitation worker?

"Hump" in my heart

  This year, 51-year-old Chen Hongying has been engaged in sanitation work for more than 20 years. Her "godmother" was the first batch of sanitation workers in Yaohai District. Chen Hongying's work in sanitation was influenced by her "godmother".

  According to Chen Hongying, her daughter can now be regarded as the "three generations of the ring".

  In 2009, Si Guoqing, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree, was engaged in accounting work in a company. After the company moved out, Si Guoqing voluntarily resigned.

At this time, the sanitation company where Chen Hongying worked was recruiting, "The company lacks people, she has no job, what a good opportunity." Chen Hongying said.

  Although influenced by his mother since he was a child, he has a different acceptance of the sanitation industry from ordinary people, but if he really does it by himself, Si Guoqing feels that there are still "hurdles" in his heart that are difficult to overcome.

"I can handle the dirty and tired, but it feels a bit embarrassing." Compared with the physical hardship, what makes Si Guoqing more difficult to accept is the identity of the sanitation worker.

She often heard people scolding children: "If you don't study well, you can only sweep the road when you grow up."

  Close to home, work is also difficult. If you work in the morning shift, you can leave work from 4:30 in the morning to 12:30 noon. The rest of the time is your own... Si Guoqing counted the advantages of this job in his heart. It doesn't seem to be as unacceptable as I thought.

Not everyone knows how to sweep the road

  Sister Si Lili also refused at first.

After giving birth to her baby, Si Lili quit her job at home. She always felt that the sanitation job "has a low threshold and no technical content."

"Who can't sweep the road?" Si Lili said, and she realized that her original thoughts were too naive when she really took the post of sanitation worker.

  "How can anyone do it?" Chen Hongying often joked with his two daughters, "Before the basic skill of being a sanitation worker was'to eat soil'." At that time, there was little asphalt on the road, so sweeping the road would inevitably suck in dust, and you can endure hardship. As the first requirement of sanitation workers, academic qualifications have become the lightest weight.

  In Si Lili's view, "being able to eat soil" represents the quality of hard work required for this job.

Now she found that this job requires not only certain skills, but also certain skills.

  One of the tasks of the sanitation captain is road inspections.

The company is equipped with oil-contaminated vehicles with various cleaning appliances.

"Before I came, I didn't expect that a driver's license would be used to clean the road." Si Lili was not surprised. "Now there are special cleaning vehicles for road guardrails and sprinklers that can directly clean the express lanes. These are greatly reduced. To prevent the occurrence of accidents of sanitation workers on roads.” Not only the sanitation machinery and equipment are being updated and iterated, but the road work specifications are gradually improving.

  "When performing manual operations on the fast lanes in emergencies, the squad leader should place his tricycle at least 20 meters in front of the passing vehicles, and set it up on the go to ensure the personal safety of the workers." Learn the rules of road cleaning and study efficiency. The professional and technical essentials of cleaning operations... With the tenacity that can endure hardship and love to learn, Silili has only been working for more than a month, and she has become the team leader.

  “Sanitation workers can always be recruited if they are not good enough, but it is very important to recruit someone who can do it by rolling up their sleeves in the face of rubbish, and who can handle and coordinate the work in the face of uncles and aunts, plus someone who understands management and can innovate. It's difficult." said Han Xianqing, manager of Qicheng Ronghao Environmental Technology Co., Ltd.

"Understanding and respect are the happiest things for me"

  Si Lili remembered that when she was a child, her mother wore a sanitation worker uniform to hold parent meetings, and she was often unhappy for most of the day.

  Chen Hongying understood her daughter. When she was just doing sanitation work, she took off her uniform immediately after work, for fear that her daughter would be unhappy.

  After engaging in sanitation work, Si Guoqing and Si Lili understood the difficulties of their mothers better.

  "During daily cleaning, everyone should clean the vehicles in front of them so that they can observe the dynamics of oncoming vehicles at any time and improve safety." As the team leader, Silili often trains new colleagues from the "uncle and aunt" generation.

"When I first went to work, I had to wake up several times a night. I was afraid of being late. Now I also wake up very early, just because I am afraid of accidents on the road." Si Lili said, most afraid of receiving a call at four or five in the morning, because the sanitation worker was there at that time. Work on the road, but the visibility of the road is not high.

Fortunately, nothing happened to the people in the team for so many years, which made Sili Li feel her responsibility and value.

  Now the company has 7 teams and 4 team leaders in charge of cleaning.

Si Lili is also the captain of the first and second squads, and Chen Hongying is the captain of the fourth squad. There will be several squads under each captain, and Si Guoqing is one of them.

  Recognized by colleagues, recognized by enterprises, and recognized by society, Si Lili has a deeper understanding of sanitation work: as long as it is useful to society, work is meaningful.

"At first, my father felt it was a pity, saying that he had read the book for so many years. Now my father will proudly say to others that the work we do can't be done by ordinary people." Silili was also moved by her husband.

From the initial lack of support, to the experience of his wife’s hard work, the husband took the initiative to take care of the children and get up and freshen up, reducing the burden on his wife.

  Si Lili’s 7-year-old daughter is in the big kindergarten class. Si Lili, who picked her up from school, is used to wearing sanitation overalls. When she sees rubbish on the road, her daughter will always hold her hand and say, “Mom, let’s pick up the rubbish. "Si Lili said: "My daughter's understanding and respect, as well as her civilized habits and environmental awareness, are the happiest thing for me!"