After the two expressed their feelings, Lina continued to introduce:

"My brother used to say that his boss was a good person, which is actually true."

"According to the workers, Mr. Irvine will not only privately provide additional subsidies to 'bonded workers', but will also give those 'affiliated workers' the same treatment as formal apprentices."

"In other factories, most business owners will try their best to lower the wages of these 'affiliated workers'——"

“Because the formal status of these affiliated workers is their employer’s domestic servants, their very existence is a loophole in the regulations.”

"So they cannot freely seek employment like normal apprentices, nor can they change jobs or jobs. They completely rely on the protection of their employers to continue to work in Piltover."

"So, a de facto personal dependence relationship has been formed between the employer and the affiliated workers."

"Then, don't they become slaves of their employer?" Victor asked in surprise.

"What kind of slave is this!" Lina sighed helplessly: "The affiliated workers are really being squeezed so hard that at worst they can escape back to Zaun."

"And those 'bonded workers' are the real slaves!"

"Their personal freedom is completely controlled by those contractors, and they are double-oppressed by employers and contractors. Not only are their wages lower than those of ordinary apprentices, but the majority of their wages have to be divided by the contractors."

"If you want to escape...hehe."

"Professor Victor, did you know——"

"In fact, most of the contractors in Piltover are Zaun gangs like the Iron Fist Gang."

"And those bonded workers are actually debt slaves they control through usury."

"If they escape, they deserve to be beaten to death."

"The law enforcement officials in Piltover won't care about this kind of thing."

"This..." Victor was even more shocked.

Now he understood why Lina said that Erwin had a conscience and was a good person.

Those with official jobs are called workers, but they are actually domestic servants.

Erwin could have squeezed them even more with lower treatment, but he didn't do that.

Those bonded workers are called workers, but they are actually slaves.

As an employer, Erwin only needs to pay "rent" to the contractors, that is, the slave owners. But he avoids the contractors and secretly subsidizes these slaves with his own money.

Thinking about it...

To say that Erwin is a good person is indeed not an exaggeration.

However, for such a good person and such a conscientious factory...it only took them less than an afternoon to investigate and they found out so many shocking facts.

"What else?" Victor instructed Lina to continue reporting. But his tone was heavy, as if he was asking himself.

"Well, let me continue... There are a total of 148 apprentices in various forms, including 52 male workers, 72 female workers, and 24 child workers under the age of 14..."

Is there still child labor involved in riding horses?

Erwin, do you still have a conscience?

Victor was about to curse in his mind.

But he just briefly recalled his hometown of Zu'an, which he had been away from for a long time, and he understood——

For the children of Zaun, being a child laborer in Piltover is really not a bad thing. Not only is it not a bad thing, it can even be said that it is an enviable blessing.

Working in Piltover, at least the working environment is not bad, and food and clothing are not a problem.

And if these children still stay in Zaun...then it will be very difficult for them just to stay alive.

"Women, children...it is difficult for these people to survive in Zaun."

"Mr. Irvine hired so many female and child workers, so he was doing a good deed."

Victor sighed sadly.

But Lina immediately told him that Boss Erwin’s kindness was not so pure:

"No, Mr. Victor."

"Boss Erwin usually pays male workers 10 silver dollars per week based on market prices, female workers 6 to 7 silver dollars per week, and child workers 3 to 4 silver dollars per week."

"But the difference in labor prices between male, female and child workers is because in most jobs that require physical strength, the labor efficiency of the three is different."

"According to our investigation, this factory employs the most people in circuit board welding work, because it does not require high physical strength of workers... so the work efficiency of male workers, female workers and child workers is actually not much different."

"That is to say..."

"Mr. Erwin employs more female and child workers, probably because...their work efficiency is no worse than that of male workers, and they earn less than male workers. Employing women and children is more cost-effective."

"This..." Victor gave up his fantasy completely.

Yes. People who can be business owners and survive in fierce competition...of course will not be purely good people.

Sure enough, just listen to Lina continue to say:

"When these Zaun apprentices enter the factory, they have to sign an 'insurance policy' with the factory."

"The general content of the so-called insurance policy is that whether the apprentices are born, old, sick, or injured at work, they have nothing to do with the company. Those who damage the interests of the factory must be compensated. If the circumstances are serious, the apprentices must be fired, terminated, and sent back to Zu'an..."

"The contract unilaterally protects the interests of the business owners and does not have any so-called protective effect on the workers..."

"..."

"Workers are in a very passive situation after entering the factory. Not only are they monitored by the foreman, but they are also subject to a series of unequal 'house rules' in the factory. Representative examples include imprisonment, expulsion, demerits, fines, work penalties, and toilet time restrictions.

..."

"The so-called body search means that the foreman and security guards will conduct a body search after work to prevent apprentices from stealing mithril, circuit boards, Hex gems and other precious materials from the workshop."

"There is no distinction between men and women. Once the theft is discovered, the foreman will execute a lynching... ranging from being forced to stand in public to being beaten with fists and kicks... hanging people up and beating them is not unheard of."

"What?" Victor couldn't listen anymore: "This... this is too much!"

"What's too much..." Lina couldn't help but rolled her eyes: "The workers have to thank Mr. Erwin for his rules and tolerance and giving them a chance to change their ways -"

"Other factories directly take the thieves to the police station, and let the law enforcement officers kick them back to Zaun."

"Anyway, the factory in Picheng will never be short of people. If you kick them out, you'll have to recruit new ones."

"To be honest, if it were my brother... I think he would rather have the foreman beat him up than be driven back to Zaun."

"So the apprentice workers fear, please, and even flatter the factory foreman... These seemingly servile behaviors are actually not difficult to understand."

Victor was silent again.

In the end I could only sigh: "Hey...hey!"

But what's the use of sighing.

They are the leaders, they can't just sigh here.

They have to let the workers join them, make their voices heard, use their energy, and change the world together!

"We must launch propaganda work as soon as possible to unite these workers..."

"Unity?" Lina shook her head helplessly: "Professor Victor, this is what we want to tell you..."

"After investigation, we discovered that these workers are actually not united at all."

We are all living a hard life, and we are all brothers in need. Isn’t it natural that we should be united?

Not really.

"Due to various differences in age, gender, region, blood, and cultural level, the apprentices are actually divided into several incompatible factions."

"Male workers and female workers are hostile to each other. The female workers feel that the male workers are not paid the same as them for the same work, while the male workers always call the female workers coquettish and mean, and like to climb into the bed of Picheng guys..."

"In addition, adult workers often bully child workers."

"If you have a good relationship with the foreman, you will bully those who have a bad relationship with the foreman."

"A few people who are related by blood also band together to form small gangs."

"Even among formal apprentices, affiliated workers, and contracted workers, there is still a chain of contempt."

"The most outrageous thing is..."

"Obviously everyone is from Zu'an, but those in the border market area look down on those in the underground black alley area, and those in the underground black alley area look down on those in the underground ditch area..."

"Everyone naturally divided into various factions and fought against each other."

"Unite? How to unite?"
Chapter completed!