Coal miners in North Pyongan province have kicked off the new year with a competition to boost production, offering rewards to top-performing teams.
A source from the province reported on Monday that a coal mine under the Kujang Area Coal Mining Company has launched a “socialist production-oriented competition” between its mining teams. The mine operates about ten shafts, each with various crews. These include “companies” responsible for tunnel extension and coal extraction, and “squadrons” in charge of power supply, safety, and facility management.
The competition has sparked rivalries not only between the shaft teams but also within the individual crews. To encourage higher production, logistics teams are storing supplies to reward the top performers. Winning teams will receive larger portions of rice, wheat flour, and cooking oil.
Some shafts have already started distributing supplies. For example, on January 3, Shaft No. 6 gave each miner three kilograms of wheat flour and two kilograms of cooking oil. They also announced a prize of 100 kilograms of rice and 50 kilograms of oil for the top two companies.
While companies typically have around 70 miners, the rewards for individual miners will be small—around 1.5 kilograms of rice and 0.7 kilograms of oil. However, the miners are reportedly excited about the opportunity to earn these bonuses.
Though production drives at the beginning of the year are common, prize-based competitions like this are rare. Some miners believe this initiative might be linked to increased revenues from coal exports, particularly after rerouting coal to China through Russia due to Chinese government restrictions.
The new system seems to be well-received. “Normally, we are just pressured to increase production, but this time, with actual supplies on the line, everyone is more motivated to work harder,” the source said.
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