Recently,aGitHubprojectwentwildthathadnothingtodowithprogramming,buteverythingtodowithallprogrammersinChina:996.ICU,acombinationof996andICU(orIntensiveCareUnit).

Thethreedigits996refertoanunofficialworkingschedulethatrunsfrom9amto9pm,6daysaweek;thatis,aworkingweekof60hoursormore.

Justwhenthepubliccontroversyover996.ICUhadcalmed,statementsmadebythefoundersoftwotechgiants,Alibaba'sJackMaandJD.com'sRichardLiu,pushedittofeverpitch.

Thoughneitherofthemsaidtheywouldenforce996,Mareferredtotheabilitytowork996as"ablessing"whileLiumadetheremarkthat"eachJD.comemployeeshouldpossesstheambitiousspirit",commentsthatclearlyequatewiththesentimentof996withoutgoingsofarastoimposeitontotheirworkforces.Furthermore,andofferingthemselvesupasexamples,theyurgedyoungmenandwomentotakeadvantageoftheiryouthfulenergytoworkhardtoachievegreatthings.

Theunanimous,ifnotconspired,statementsmaybeconsideredaresponsetothe996.ICUmovement,anattempttorallytheirdemoralizedemployeesaheadofaggressivelayoffandemployeebenefit-cuttingplans.

Suchoutspokenadvocacyfor996byMa,China'sgodfatherofentrepreneursandtheinternet,willinevitablyhaveaknock-oneffectacrossthecountrythatwillre-energizeandre-popularizethenotionof996whilefurtherpromotingacollectivedisregardofChina'sLabourLawthatclearlystipulatesamaximum8-hourdayand40-hourweek.

Itisimportanttonotethatthereason996hasgoneviralisbecause,toborrowthefamouswordsofCixinLiuinhisclassicsci-fitrilogyTheThree-BodyProblem,a"dimensionalreductivestrike"againstcompanieswhichresistit.Thewhitelistof955.WLB(work-lifebalance)companiesismostlycomprisedofforeigninternetfirmswhosesluggishperformancesinChinaareoftenattributedtotheirlackofaruthless"wolfspirit",somethingpossessedinabundancebytheirChinesecounterparts.

Indeed,therecentchoiceofJD.comtocancelabasicsalaryandreducethecompany'scontributiontotheprovidentfundofitsdeliverystaff(whobossRichardLiureferstoas'buddies')wastheresultofthisdimensionalreductionbroughtonby996thatthreatensachangingoftherules.Thecompanyoriginallyhopedtobuildaprotective‘moat’ofqualitylogisticsservices,yetfinallyfailedtoprotectitselfonceconfrontedwiththecompetitionofsociallogisticsandtheimpactontheinvisibleunemploymentofChina'srealeconomy.

YoumaybeshockedattheridiculousnessofsuchaccomplishedentrepreneursasMaandLiuevaluatingemployeesbasedonworkinghoursalone,andnotperformance,atthemfailingtorealizethattacticaldiligencealwaystrumpscarelessstrategy,orthatinnovationarisesfrommotivationandafreerworkingenvironment,instarkcontrastto996whichservesinsteadtodepriveemployeesofanylifeatalloutsideoftheworkplace.

Infact,advocating996isnothingbutadisguisedwaytocutlaborcosts,inturnreflectingtheendoftheboomperiodofinnovationforexcessivelycreative(orre-creative,sincesomanythingshasbeen're-invented'againandagain)internetcompaniesinChina.Doubtlessly,thepopularizationof996onlyservestodragdownoverallemployment,loweraverageworkingincomesandfurtherdemotivateyoungcouplesfromhavingchildren,thusmakingproblemsofovercapacityandunder-consumptionintheChineseeconomyevenmoresevere.

InChina,996hasbecomeanembodimentofapoliticalcorrectnessand"youthbias"prevalentamonginternetcompaniesinChina.Theexcessiveinnovationsthatinclinetowardstheyounggeneration,themainstayoftheconsumptioneconomy,buttendtoignoretheexperiencesofmiddle-agedandolderChinese,hasnowbecomeanorm.

However,withthefadingofdemographicdividends,noamountofconsumeristpropagandawillsufficetomotivatethetensofmillionsofdebt-riddenyouthtrappedinthequagmireofborrowingandconsumptiontosupporttherapidgrowthandover-innovationoftheinterneteconomy.Thedemographicdividendsarevanishingfastenough;nowthepopularizationof996willonlyfurthercontributetoanevenlowerbirthrateinthecountry.

What'smore,withthepensionpoolrunningshortearlierthananticipated,theincreasinglysluggishconsumptionofthoseborninthe1980sand1990swillonlyintensify.This'overdraft'ofover-workandover-consumptionisnowcontributingtoanoverdraftonthefutureoftheChineseeconomyitself.

Infact,this"fight-while-you-can"philosophyofMaisanunsustainabledrainonthesurplusvalueofworkers,whetherfromtheperspectiveofphysicalplausibility,self-improvementorintergenerationalcontinuity.

Havingcapitalizedonthehighvaluegeneratedbylabourintheshortterm,996companiesthenkickouttheso-called'unmotivated'35+'old'employees,leavingthewholesocietytobearthecostofrecuperatingtheburnt-outandreplacingwithyoungersubstitutes.Thisisnotanaturalorisolateddecisionforoneortwocompanies,butacollusionthatoperatesonthelevelofanentireindustry.

Forthisreason,thecareerlifespanofanemployeeintheinternetindustryhasbecomeshockinglyshort,witheveryworkerinhisorher35thyearnowforcedtoeitherfaceuptothetaskorgetout.Somearepromoted,othersindulged,yetthevastandsilentmajorityareout,leadingtoafurthercollapsingoftheconsumermarketforalldemographicsexceptthose18-35.

Theproblemis:wecanhardlyhopeforincreasedspecialization,accumulationofknow-howorinnovativebreakthroughsinsuchasituation,andassuchthislabor-intensivestagemayneverend.ItalsolocksChineseinternetfirmsinalow-levelcompetitiveenvironmentthatreliesonoperationorbusinessmodelfirstattheexpenseoftechnologicalinnovation.

BackwhenChinawasnegotiatingtojointheWTO,theUSimposedonChinaspecificallyacompulsorytwodaysoffperweekandovertimecompensation,withtheintentionofturningtheworld'smostpopulatedcountryintoavastconsumerofUSproducts.TherequirementsprovedasignificantstimulanttotheChineseeconomy.

However,justasthenormofovertimeinChinesefactorieshasresultedinanovercapacityofoutputandlow-levelcompetitionamongstemployees,thesituationhasalsoledtotherapidexhaustionofyoungworkers.Now,thesamephenomenonisrepeatingitselfinthe996internetfirmsintheirdisregardingofthe40-hourrulestipulatedinlaw.

Whilemanyyoungworkersmayfeelthatmoneyisenoughtocompensatefora996workingweek,theoverallconsequencewillbeadeclineintheaveragehourlywage,andaggravatedinternalstrife.Thisisawarwithnowinners.Ifthisisnotastandardprisoner'sdilemma,pleasetellmewhatitis.

Lookingthroughthelensofsuchcompanies,itbecomesapparentthatAlibaba,JD.comandotheradvocatesof996willonlyturnChinaintoamoreinhospitableenvironmentforinternetbusinesses,withallfollowersofthefight-while-you-canphilosophyultimatelydoomedasavictimofthesamedoctrine.

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Thisarticlewaseditedby@DidoPong.TheoriginalChineseversionwaswrittenbyYuanZhang.Pleasenotesourceandhyperlinkwhenreproduce.

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