While police dispute the story, Chinese netizens express sympathy for “800 Brother” over how workers are treated.

A Chinese factory employee set fire to a textile plant in China’s southwestern Sichuan province in his frustration over unpaid wages of just 800 yuan (or US$111), according to videos posted on social media and eyewitness accounts shared with Radio Free Asia.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    892·
    13 hours ago

    “just 800 yuan (or US$111)”

    “just”

    Fuck man, I’d go ballistic over $111 of unpaid wages, and that’s probably a bigger chunk of that employee’s monthly wages than mine.

    • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      333·
      10 hours ago

      Most payments in China are monthy, not weekly/bi-weekly as with in the west.

      You’d be mad too if you find out you’re not gonna be paid for work done for the past month*.

      Edit: *Or if its only partial payment

    • False@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      11 hours ago

      My first reaction was “That’s not very much - guess they should have paid him!”

      • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        91·
        10 hours ago

        I doubt they actually owe ¥800 in total, because they could have just pay 99 other workers ¥8 less and can still pay this person ¥792, this way, the factory owner only owes ¥8 to 100 different individuals rather than oweing ¥800 to one individual. I doubt someone is gonna do arson for ¥8 delayed payment.

        So I assume they probably owe other employees as well. Just to illustrate:

        If they owe ¥800 to 100 employees, each.

        That’s ¥80 000 Yuan/RMB ≈ $11 140 USD

        A lot of debt.