I had to chuckle, and chuckle somewhat derisively at that, when I read the media responses to the purported abuses in China related to the 60-hour work week.
The hysteria they have created is more of a critique on the lack of ambition and a desire to improve one’s lot in our society than it is a reflection of the abuses in China.
The 3.4% unemployment in Hong Kong combined with an 8% annual economic growth rate is not the result of a 35-hour work week and two month summer vacations which, in Europe, has become de rigueur.
The media betrays their lack of understanding of the life of a Chinese factory employee.
1. The workers are migrants. Where they work is not remotely close to their homes. More often than not they live a jostling, two day, non-stop train ride from their homes.
2. They live in stifling factory dormitories that are seldom air-conditioned, many of which are located in the tropical coastal south.
3. I would approximate the average age of the factory worker to be in their early twenties. They are strong, healthy, ambitious, and most of them are single. If, given the choice of holing up in their dormitory room designed to accommodate 6, but instead houses 12, or opting for additional work, their choice is obvious.
4. Many of the migrant workers come from the family farm where the work is done by hand. The estimated hourly income from working on the farm is 25 cents. Working in a factory, they are paid close to $2.00 an hour, an 800% increase. The goal of many is to work and save for five years before retiring to the family farm, most of which are a half acre or less. Continue reading →
