“铁饭碗”好坏与否，众方各执一词
Mixed opinions about "iron rice bowl" jobs
今年参加公务员考试的人数高达百万，而有的公务员却欲辞职而不能。
Over 1 million candidates have sat for the civil service exam this year but some civil servants said they are fed up with their jobs and want to quit.
But for civil servants in some provinces, leaving the job may not be easy.
Xi'an Evening News reported Wednesday that some civil servants in Shaanxi Province whose jobs are related to State secrets are not allowed to give up their official identity.
The report said those workers who have unfinished official business and who are under judicial investigations are also not allowed to leave their official positions.
Civil servants who failed to serve a contractual term will need to pay a penalty before quitting.
Those in leadership positions are not allowed to work for organizations that do business with the government departments they have served, within three years after resignation. Those who are not in a leadership position should go through a two-year transition period.
In March, the fifth administration meeting of national administrative organizations was held in Beijing, where there were calls for more rules to standardize the management of governmental officials.
A worker from State Administration of Civil Service told the Global Times Wednesday that recently the department has worked together with other departments and issued relevant regulations on resignation and dismissal of civil servants.
Several provinces, including Fujian and Shandong, already have similar regulations.
Becoming a government official is like having "an iron bowl" for Chinese particularly when a financial crisis is hurting most industries.
More than 1 million people took the government's official recruitment exam this year, according to the State Administration of Civil Service.
Some civil servants find the working environment not what they expected after being recruited.
"I felt uncomfortable with the bureaucracy and promotion mechanism such as getting promoted in accordance with seniority," a Beijing urban management officer surnamed Yang told the Global Times.
Beijing resident Hu Ziyuan said that the price for quitting his job in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was significant.
"I can't travel overseas for three years after I quit my job," Hu said.
Xue Qian left his job at the Ministry of Education six months after graduation. The 31-year-old man told the Global Times Wednesday that he quit because he felt bored and hopeless.
"The relations with superiors are crucial and promotions are very slow."
A Beijing resident surnamed Kong told the Global Times that his friend has severed ties with other people after working at the Ministry of State Security.
"He has no communication with us after starting the job," he said.