Participation of Cadres in Collective Productive Labor

An Important idea which was repeatedly emphasized by Mao Zedong.

Mao Zedong said: It is necessary to maintain the system of cadre participation in collective productive labour. The cadres of our Party and state are ordinary workers and not overlords sitting on the backs of the people. By taking part in collective productive labour, the cadres maintain extensive, constant and close ties with the working people. He said: “this is a major measure of fundamental importance for a socialist system; it helps to overcome bureaucracy and to prevent revisionism and dogmatism.” In May 1963, when he read Seven Well-written Documents of Party Committee of Zhejiang Province Concerning Cadres' Participation in Physical Labor, he immediately instructed to spread this practice across the country and asked all localities and departments to promote it. He pointed out: “The struggle for production, the class struggle and scientific experiment are the three great revolutionary movements for building a mighty socialist country. They are the sure guarantee that Communists will be free from bureaucracy and immune against revisionism and dogmatism, and will forever remain invincible. They are a reliable guarantee that the proletariat will be able to unite with the broad working masses and realize a democratic dictatorship.” If cadres are divorced from reality, from labor, from the masses for a long time, and or place themselves above them, thus act as the masters of the people or act as the old kind of officials, they will gradually forget the Party's purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, indulge in the bureaucratic style of work and the idea of privilege, and even embark on the path of abusing power for their personal gains.