Tuesday 9 June 2009

Is SAP discriminating Chinese workers?

Dear all SAP colleagues; Gerhard Oswald, and other SAP Board members,

I bear the full reponsibility of this public letter according to the Law in China, Germany, and USA. If it is confirmed by law, I am willing to return the compensation money by the mutual agreement between me and SAP on discontiue of my employment contract.

My name is Dong Jin Du and I use an English name of Ross Du. I was fired by SAP China in April 2009 only because that I sent Mr. Oswald an email asking support on Chinese Freedom of Speech. At least, I think so. Different in SAP word, SAP China and me had a mutual agreement to discontinue our employment relationship.

Actually, I tried my best to deliver message to SAP China that I want to keep my job and career in SAP China almost whole March 2009. But Dickson Ho, the General Manager of SAP China Consulting, just ashamed me by tellin g me that it would take him a lot of efforts to re create my position in SAP organization as it had been eliminated. I believe that it ashamed SAP as well because I was still a SAP China employee that time. How could my position was eliminated before that "mutual agreement" was there? Is SAP a company fully ignoring the rights of its employee?

I don't believe that Mr. Oswald know what SAP has done to me so far. Extremely ironical, I cannot even validate my thoughts. It is unfair to both SAP and me. I got an unfair treatment. SAP was just like a fool pushed by some dirty guys. But I don't exclude Mr. Oswald Oswald from those dirty guys unless he could tell me his thoughts and behaviors on this event. That's why I wrote this public letter to my previous SAP colleagues and all of SAP Board members. After all, SAP declares that SAP employees are encouraged to entering into local community in it global policy.

For such a story in side a MNC head quartered in Germany, few people can ignore the history of discriminating Israel. And When Nazi massacring Israels, the majority of Germany kept silence. Although not a racial issue, is my case  of political discrimination? Especially in China, someone are behaving in a suspicious manner of the Gestapo.

I declare my doubt here seriously on the fraud that Mr. Oswald did. He sent all SAP China employees declaring that he will have a dollar to dollar match donation against the total amount of SAP China employee to WenChuan Earthquake 15th May, 3 days after the disaster. I contributed 2000 through SAP China's account because of it. But I saw neither information of the donation of all China employees nor the one of Mr. Oswald. Based on my experiences in SAP China, I have my doubtness on the transparency of SAP and this donation. I request that SAP can show public the evdidence that its board member keep his promise. If SAP could not, then it is a fraud.

Please read below list to understand what happened between me and SAP.

  • * 18th Jun. 2007: SAP China Consulting hired me as Senior Consultant through 3 years contract. My employee ID is I044981.
  • * Mar. 2008: I met the performance figure on utility rate and other points. My direct boss, Mr. Haining Wu gave me a good evaluation. I got full bonus according to my bonus plan.
  • * 15th May. 2008: Mr. Oswald had a dollar to dollar contribution against the total amount of all SAP China employee to the earthquake in Wenchuan, China. (I contributed 2,000RMB on it as well. Anyway it is not too much relevant.) He sent all SAP China employees declaring his decision.
  • * May. 2008: I replied Mr. Oswald (only to him) that I appreciated his kindness and inquired if he had further interests to support a lawsuit against China Internet Censorship. I told him that it could improve China environments in which SAP is doing business.
  • * May and Jun., 2008: Mr. Haining Wu had several talks with me that my email was a serious breach on SAP policy. Almost all SAP Asia managers knew this email already. And he got a big pressure not mentoring his team member well. He inquired if I could quit from SAP China. I told him that I had long SAP career plan. He was not satisfied with my feedback.
  • * Since Jun. 2008, I had been very difficult to communicate with service sales managers to be engaged into new projects. It meant I could not met SAP's expectation on utility rate. I was disappointed with what happened and posted some information to an internet forum but with the name of direct involved person hidden except Gerhard.
  • * Sep. 2008: I contacted with SAP US and one of its customer. They had email and telephone interview with me and were satisfied. SAP US then asked SAP China to assign me to that project. They emailed me their decision as well. But SAP China sent Mr. Barry Xin at last. And this message was not sent to me!
  • * Nov. 2008: SAP US sent me an email inquiring my availability because Mr. Barry Xin was not available further due to some personal affairs. I had a talk with Mr. Haining that we should forgot that email to Mr. Oswald. This could benefit both SAP and myself. But SAP China Consulting insisted do not assign me to that project. I could not met company's performance figure, utility rate, already that time. Even if I worked in project all days in remaining days of fiscal year 2008.
  • * I filed an complaint to SAP compliance department stating that I got unfair treatment. My career plan in SAP was greatly negatively impacted. They had a talk with Mr. Wu Haining. Although the compliance team didn't agree with me, somehow I was assigned to that SAP US project in December finally.
  • * 23rd Feb. 2009: I returned to China to have a rest from project. The customer, SAP US, and me, planned that I would fly into project one month later. I reported to Mr. Wu Haining and Ms. Jill Wang as well. Because Ms. Jill was my new manager due to SAP re organization. I also submitted new business travel requirment.
  • * 11st Mar. 2009: Miss Jill Wang, Ms. Tina Tian (SAP China HR department), and Mr. Dickson HO held a meeting with me. They "offered" me a package to discontinue my employment. And they said that it was because of SAP global organizational adjustment. I told them that I prefer to continue my career in SAP and I was earning money for SAP. It was an option benefiting both SAP and me. I asked them if I was selected into the list because of my email to Mr. Oswald. They said abosolutely no. They emphasized that this offer was an mutual agreement and should be kept confidential and forgot once leaving the meeting room. I told them that I have responsibility to tell the customer why I cannot keep project plan.
  • * I proposed Ms. Jill Wang that SAP signed me as an independent consultant for this project. Then SAP did not need to hire me again. But both me and SAP can fullill the promise to the customer. Ms. Jill had sincere and hard efforts to do it. But the higher management team refused it.
  • * Mar. 2009: The customer told me that SAP China was recommending other candidates. But they wanted me to be there and they denied at least 3 candidates. I then went to SAP China HR. Ms. Tina Tian and her boss, Brenda, agreed that I have the rights to decline company's offer then SAP should continue my contract.
  • * 26th March, 2009: I got only less than half of my bonus according to my bonus and performance plan. Basically it means I did not meet the planned performance. But who is the reason of this result? And in the contract of SAP hiring me, "SAP should provide necessary environment and conditions so that its employee can do their jobs".
  • * 2nd Apr. 2009, I went to Ms. Brenda Lee and Ms. Tina Tian to decline the offer of that mutual agreement. They told me that they will cancel it.
  • * Around 10:00am 2nd April 2009, I went to Mr. Dickson Ho and started to talk on my career plan and new project assignment. I even told Mr. Dickson that any project is ok to me. But he said that it would take him a lot of efforts to re create my position in SAP organization as it had been eliminated! He had not such a plan!!
  • * Around 11:00am 2nd Apr. 2009, I "signed" the "Mutual agreement".
  • * 6th Apr. 2009, I flied into the project located in California again to fullfill my promise to them.

Best Regards,

Ross Du (Yetaai is my Internet alias)

2009.6.2

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

按照我理解,德国总部不敢干涉亚太的分部业务管理,北京SAP办公室很乱,德国人不懂,也不想了解,我觉得呢,Oswald和你的案子应该没关系吧,可能是你领导用这个邮件用借口,借刀杀人,可能你以前引起了内部的人不满。反正和你performance没关系,你也不是第一个被冤枉的人,Tina应该知道。

Yetaai said...

基本同意你的分析。但内部的人对我不满实在让我惊诧莫名。我只是一名小喽罗。本不至于如此。可能欺负小人物确实是中国的文化吧。

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