Job Discussion Forums

[Robert0007]

I see this problem over and over again. Every foreign teacher that i talk to have some major disatisfication with their contracts here in China. Good schools are like a needle in the hay stack.

The average unfair chinese contract:

1. 4,000 to 5,000 RMB is too low of a monthly salary. China is becoming richer every day. Most countries are going under but China can only get better.

1. Solution: The least should be 6,000 RMB a month.

2. A major problem by most schools: 6,000RMB pays only just 3/4 for an airfare ticket. Very few schools pay 8 to 10,000RMB for a return ticket. In reality a return ticket costs about 9,000RMB. Solution: If your contract says 5 or 6,000RMB for the ticket negociate for more.

3. Paid vacation days trap: Most schools only give you about 9 to 14 days paid vacation. Yes the New year holiday you should get a week to 2 weeks off. But they may only give you 3 of those days paid. Public schools offer more perks than most private schools. Solution: Ask for 3 weeks paid vacation for a 1 year contract. Unite with all your teachers and make this request.

4. Working hours: The biggest problem i see is: OFFICE HOURS. The average contract makes you teach about 20 or just a bit more contact hours right? The biggest trap is sitting in your office for the remaining 4 or 5 hours. If there is one thing you can do, Request no office hours. If enough teachers request this, the contracts will change. Yes i agree come in early before your class and plan the lesson. I just cannot stand seeing teachers clocking in at 2:00 or 3:00 pm when their first class starts at 6:00pm.

Final word: Does any body know of a foreign teachers union here in China? The best solution: Yes get a full time contract with some of the solutions i have metioned. Then work some part time jobs off the side and make way more an hour. We can teach part time for atleast 100RMB an hour or more up to 150 to 200RMB if you are more qualified.
The full time contracts work out to an average of 65RMB an hour or probably less. This has got to stop. I say the schools are ripping us off. Fight for your rights until there is enough of us that want to see justice. The private schools make a gigantic amount of money off us. We should get more of the piece of the pie instead of bending over backwards.

[no_exit]

I'm going to respond with some constructive criticism to your points. Don't take it the wrong way, it isn't that I disagree with you completely, but I don't think some of your problems solutions have been completely thought through.

[WordUp]

Over and over again? Thats interesting.. How long have you been teaching in China? It always amazes me when people try to put a blanket statement on salaries and say that every teachers should earn this or that without taking into serious consideration all the variables that go into earnings..

So by your standards, If I am new to China, and you have been working at Uni for three years earning 6,000 RMB I can go to YOUR school, earn 6,000 RMB on par with you.. and you and I can be buddies and you'll be excited that I am earning your wage?

Hahahaha.. I didnt think so..

[Songbird]

Just curious, exactly how DOES the performance bonus work in China? Do your students have to meet certain grades? What if you have really crap student who are unmotivated (like mine usually are, and quite a few fails at the end of semester!).

Is it just a 'be on time, don't take sickies' etc etc sort of thing?

[shuize]

Problem: I'd like a blow job this very instant. For free.

Solution: Natalie Portman should hop on over and give me one.

By the way, when offering advice about "negociating" (sic) contracts for higher paying jobs teaching English, those in your intended audience will probably be more receptive when you spell the word correctly and avoid writing statements like this:

[no_exit]

[Outsida]

China is becoming richer, and yet the majority of people who send their kids to training centres are struggling to pay the fees. They may seem rich, but they're actually sacrificing quite a bit to ensure their kid gets the jump on others in learning English.

4-5000 RMB is quite a good wage. If you go comparing yourself to the newly-rich boss men, then you will come up short, but trust me, you're doing much better than most people. As long as you're not being underpaid by the standards of the industry and the city you're in, you're all right.

If you're paying more than the equivalent of 6000RMB for a plane ticket, you're getting sadly ripped off. Shop around. There are many good deals.

Unions in China don't exist, except the government associations that are unions only on paper. An FT union will not be taken seriously.


And this:

[KES]

Problem: You don't like contracts in China.

Solution: obvious.


Thanks for playing.

[Chinateachertim]

The wage of 4-5000 RMB per month for a teacher is quite low. I am constantly surprised at FT's defending the Chinese for paying this wage and demanding that you have a degree.

There are good jobs out there and good Chinese people too.

Stop taking the bait which is directed towards neophite china hands.

Stand up for yourself and your educational background.

Fellow laowei, being a team player is one thing, but in laying down with dogs can get you fleas. Great loss of face and respect from all.

gabeessh?

I constantly speak my mind in a respectable maner and am also quite highly paid. Go figure.

[no_exit]

Chinateachertin, 4-5000 a month for a teacher with experience and qualifications is quite low in some places.

You've got to know the market in the province where you're teaching. China is a big country. I've been in my province for three years and I know for a fact that if I went around telling some newbie that they could show up here and land a 6000RMB a month contract then I'd be lying. I'm sure Yunnan is not the only place where 4000RMB a month is still fairly average. Outside of the East coast and the bigger cities it gets harder to pull in a larger salary.

If newbies defied the market and demanded 6k a month where I live, they'd simply have no jobs. There are plenty of people willing to step in and take those 4k jobs, so those demanding more without experience to back up those demands really don't have a whole lot of bargaining power. How badly they need you and not the next guy will be what determines how much you can push for.

[Robert0007]

Well, after being here for a year and a half, i have quit working full time contracts for schools.

I have asked my self the question: why work fulltime for 25 teaching hours a week and 20 some office hours. This equals 40 to 45 hours for what perhaps 4,500 to 6,500 RMB a month.

I have worked my network well, and now i can say i work 20 hours with no office time a week for 8,000 RMB a month. You can all figure it out why not work less for more RMB. You will realize that the chinese full time contracts are not very profitable for the teacher as it seems.

The Chinese are very difficult people to work with when it comes to business. Cheating a lot on pay and being used as there best marketing tool is very common. I am not surprised at all, when teachers are cheated on their pay. Two faced cheaters? yes you can say that. Be very very careful when working and doing business here.
Most of them will lie to you to make you feel better. This will continue to happen, until you really make good friends that can help you be on top of this.

What has made me stay longer here is these few good people. There very difficult to find. I plan later next year to move on, then come back to China perhaps later.

[struelle]

There's lot to talk about here, but just to zero in on two points:

[Tezcatlipoca]

Do I make more than Chinese coworkers? Absolutely...

But then again, they paid Chinese prices for a degree and I paid a Western price for my degree... which they require.

I figure if a Chinese employer is going to require a Western degree at a Western price, there should be a Western salary to go with it (or at least a salary that allows you to live a comfortable lifestyle while saving a similar amount as a true Western salary would allow).

Additionally, saving a few thousand rmb in China might hold you over for a while in terms of retirement savings. In Western countries, that's absolutely nothing. I don't believe that Western teachers should basically forfeit years of potential retirement savings in order to work here.

I do believe teachers should demand more.

[Tezcatlipoca]

On a related note, salary is not the biggest consideration... the visa / work permit system is.

Signing a contract with a school can result in severe consequences if that school turns bad. And no, I don't want to hear about 'do your research!' because any school can put on a good face long enough for you to sign the contract.

Then, according to Chinese labor laws, they own you until they decide not to own you. Even after your contract has expired, they can still deny your letter of release, thereby preventing you from working in that province again.

[cj750]