Some start full-time "sliding poles", some run freight in a group, and some take the initiative to "touch the net" to seek change...
Chongqing "Brother Li", who makes a living by carrying heavy burdens, quietly transforms and upgrades
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Chongqing "Li Ge", represented by "Sliding Pole", "Bang Bang Army" and "Water Carrying Worker", were once famous throughout the country. They used sticks and ropes as labor tools, and depended on heavy labor for food, providing convenience for thousands of households.
The reporter learned through interviews that with the advent of the Internet era, some "li brothers" are working full-time "sliding poles" in scenic spots, some are running freight in groups, and some are actively "touching the Internet" to seek change, and use the Internet to achieve a quiet transformation.
Recently, a travel blogger uploaded a video of hiring someone to carry a sedan chair up the mountain (locally known as "lifting a sliding pole") during a trip to the Third Natural Bridge in Wulong, Chongqing. accuse.
However, there are also more voices who think, "You pay, he contributes, why can't you rely on labor to make a living", advocating equal respect for laborers and seeing their actual needs.
The reporter noticed that Chongqing "Li Ge", represented by "Sliding Pole", "Bang Bang Army" and water-carrying workers, was once famous throughout the country. They used sticks and ropes as labor tools, and depended on heavy labor for food, providing convenience for thousands of households.
At its peak, the team exceeded 400,000 people.
With the advent of the Internet era, many "li brothers" who are wandering in the streets have gradually developed a formal operation team and quietly transformed with the help of the Internet.
The slippery master under the "spotlight" of the Internet
With the spread of short videos on the Internet, "lifting and sliding poles" has become a cultural landscape in major scenic spots in Chongqing. Many tourists come here to check in, and it also provides employment opportunities for many laborers.
Among them, there are 68 people who are engaged in sliding pole services in Tiansheng Sanqiao Scenic Spot. Their average annual income is about 50,000 yuan. Usually, about 20 people stay in the scenic spot every day to provide services to tourists.
According to reports, the scenic area mainly recruits villagers with good physical fitness nearby to enter, and the bearer and the tourists negotiate the price by themselves, and the fee for one trip shall not exceed 400 yuan.
At the same time, the scenic area does not charge any fees to the bearers.
"The Internet has brought us business and increased income, but it has also ruined our 'jobs'." Master Ni, who has been engaged in sliding pole service in Tiansheng Sanqiao Scenic Spot for many years, is one of the bearers in the aforementioned Internet incident.
Master Ni told reporters that in recent years, videos of bearers "lifting and sliding poles" in scenic spots have often appeared on the Internet, attracting many young tourists to come and try them out. They can earn four or five thousand yuan per month.
However, due to some doubts on the Internet at the same time, some tourists who want to ride the sliding rod are afraid, and they are worried that they will encounter Internet violence after being filmed.
Recently, the continuous fermentation of the "slippery pole incident" has caused a sharp decrease in the business volume of bearers in scenic spots such as Chongqing Wulong and Fengjie Baidicheng.
Master Ni said: "In the past half month, I have only done 6 businesses in total, and the income is only about 1,300 yuan."
The experience of the bearers in this scenic spot is the epitome of new troubles encountered by Chongqing "Li Ge" while enjoying the "bonus" of the Internet.
During the visit, the reporter noticed that for the "Li Ge" in Chongqing in the Internet age, the Internet has allowed them to stand under the "spotlight" and receive more attention, which has brought them more business and increased business. The increase in income has also made them the object of heated discussion, suffering from the trouble of "excessive sympathy".
Master Ni said that he hoped that the content uploaded on the Internet is "the bearers rely on their strength to eat, and tourists pay for services", instead of making random accusations out of excessive sympathy. "After all, we have to rely on strength to support our family."
From "single action" to group transformation
Although the Internet attention has brought new troubles to the "li brothers", there are still many people who have seen the opportunities of "Internet +" and transformed through digital platforms.
"With one pole and two ropes, we can stir up the whole family, but with the progress of the times, this way of making a living has gradually been eliminated. If we do not transform, it means that we cannot afford to eat." Wang Qiang, 48 years old this year Say.
Since 2004, he has been a member of the "Bangbang Army" in Chongqing. With his youth and strength, he has been working until 2016. He has touched the golden age of "Brother Li" and also experienced "the last hymn".
With the gradual increase of age and the decline of physical strength, the traditional "bangbang" business has also decreased. Wang Qiang has been thinking about finding a new way out.
"I've been a 'Bang Bang' for more than ten years. Seeing many old brothers worrying about their livelihood every day is not a good feeling." At the beginning of 2017, Wang Qiang and two other "li brothers" collected 120,000 yuan and bought them The two second-hand vans mainly undertake the transportation of long-distance and bulk goods. The monthly income reached more than 30,000 yuan at the highest point, which was several times higher than that of "Bangbang".
In June 2018, Wang Qiang saw the promotion effect of the digital platform on the transportation business, and quickly completed the registration on several online shopping platforms to expand the source of business, and called in 3 old colleagues who were still working as "Li Ge". , formed a moving company called "Powerful".
He told reporters that in the past, "Brother Li" was fighting alone, but now, everyone has begun to form a group.
"Although I'm still eating 'Strength Meal', my income is more stable than before, and I work and earn money together, and I feel at ease." Liao Xiuhai, 58, said with a smile, "Employers used to call us 'Bang Bang', Employers now call us 'Masters'."
During the interview, the reporter found that many founders of local moving companies in Chongqing had the experience of being a "li brother" on the major online distribution platforms, and most of their team members were "bangbang", "slider" or pickers. From a plumber.
At the same time, many laborers who have not yet transformed have also established communication groups. When they are too busy, everyone will share their business in the group.
Actively "touch the Internet" to seek career flexibility
In addition to undertaking temporary work tasks for moving companies, some "li brothers" who are still doing it alone also have their own "touching the net" method of seeking change, that is, turning to takeaway delivery workers by virtue of their experience advantages.
At 2 p.m. on September 15, 46-year-old Zhou Dayou picked up two cups of milk tea from a milk tea shop in Jiefangbei, Yuzhong District, and rode an electric car to the delivery address.
30 minutes later, the milk tea was delivered to the customer as scheduled, and his mobile phone immediately showed that the income of this order was 4.6 yuan.
"It's also a cargo delivery. Four years ago, I had to carry it on my shoulders. The heaviest cargo was more than 100 pounds, and the lightest was more than a dozen pounds." Zhou Dayou's hometown is Wuxi County, Chongqing. He is a coal miner who has been working as a temporary worker for a living since the coal mine closed.
In 2011, he came to Chongqing Chaotianmen Wharf as a "bangbang".
When he first arrived in the main city, Zhou Dayou earned an average monthly income of 4,000 to 5,000 yuan for delivering goods to people.
Later, with the development of online shopping and express logistics, the business of "Bangbang" became less and less. In addition, he was sick and unable to do heavy work. In 2018, he bought a second-hand electric car and began to deliver food.
In the first week of delivery, Zhou Dayou received 6 overtime complaints because he was not familiar with the navigation software, and only earned less than 300 yuan.
As he became more proficient in software and distribution processes, his income has increased significantly, and at most, he can earn more than 8,000 yuan a month.
After hearing about it, other "Bangbangs" came to him for "learning lessons". More than a dozen "Bangbangs" who had been wandering in Jiefangbei and Chaotianmen for a long time also put down their poles and delivered takeaways.
"It is inevitable for Chongqing laborers to move towards the 'new'." Relevant staff of the Chongqing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau believe that with the in-depth development of the Internet and the accelerated growth of new formats such as the modern service industry, express delivery, flash delivery, etc. The emergence of new occupations has made the living space of traditional laborers smaller and smaller, and the trend of career change and transformation is irresistible.
Industry insiders believe that whether it is to go to the scenic spot to be a full-time "slipper", or to drive a car to run freight, or to "touch the Internet" to deliver food, the transformation of Chongqing's "li brothers" has both the influence of passive involvement and active demand. Considerations for new changes.
Integrating into the Internet era means that "Brother Li" has more possibilities for his career, and more opportunities for their employment status to be improved and optimized.
Huang Shiqiang