City accuses workers of operating ‘illegal cafeteria’
Fan Ming (pseudonym) and about a dozen colleagues would get together daily to cook meals as a way to save on expenses while working away from home.
This did not go down well with the Nanjing city authorities, who in December slapped Fan and company with more than 150,000 yuan ($22,921) in fines for running an “employee cafeteria,” China Youth Daily reported.
“Eating at restaurants are very expensive and sometimes not healthy,” said Fan who had been sent with the group to Nanjing by their employer in May 2017.
Fan explained he and his coworkers decided to have their meals together in their rented apartment and split the expense.
But on December 21, Fan received a notice from Jianye District authorities saying he was running a for-profit food operation without a license.
The company was fined 155,760 yuan.
“It was not open to the public and we weren’t selling anything at all,” Fan told reporters.
The 29-year-old also suspected the city of cooking up charges for a revenue boost.
“I doubt whether the punishment was a corrective action or only to collect a fine.”
The city, however, argues the company had rented the apartment as a temporary employee cafeteria and called it a health hazard.
Fan said authorities threatened his colleagues to either admit their guilt in writing or “face the consequences.”
The case is still pending.