Job Discussion Forums

[monju]

Can anybody tell me if there's a minimum legal wage that schools are obliged to pay "foreign experts" in China?

I've done searches and can't find anything.

I'd be most grateful if anyone can tell me.

[englishgibson]

Yes, there is and it is a big zero or 0 RMB per month or per year.

That is of course if you sign a Contract for that ZERO or if you do not sign any Contract.

I am sorry to have disappointed you here.

Cheers and beers

[englishgibson]

Monju, the workers in some provinces have a minimum wage of 600 RMB per month, though it might not apply to that "foreign experts". I'd assume that you would not go for a job that pays you less than hmmm... 40 RMB per teaching hour, would you? My Chinese girlfirend is an English teacher, she majored in English and she has got that 40-45 RMB per hour most of the time. I've heard of Chinese English teachers getting paid 800 RMB per month to just give you an idea here.
Sorry about that sarcasm in my previous post.
Cheers and beers

[nolefan]

While I have no official papers confirming this, I do believe that the minimum wage that a university can pay a "foreign expert" is 2800 RMB/month for course load ranging between 12 and 16 periods/week.

Maybe someone else can confirm this.

[tw]

I have read somewhere reliable that 2500/month is the minimum legal salary. How many periods a week? That I don't know.

[tarzaninchina]

I am 100% certain on this and have verified it over the past year or so from various governmental and non-governmental sources.

The MINIMUM pay for a foreign expert per month, full-time, is 2,500 RMB. There are other details for minimum conditions for other non-pay-related clauses in an employment contract here in China.

[Roger]

I would have thought it was set at 2200, but perhaps it is 2500; it's not been raised in the last ten, or perhaps, many more years! The same as with airfare: minimum is set at RMB 5000 though this seems to be interpreted as a guideline.

[tw]

[monju]

Thanks for your replies everybody.

Is anyone able to tell me where I might get further information?

Is the airfare a legal obligation?

I 'm in a really abusive situation and need to get out of it, however I'd rather not do a runner. I'd like to settle it properly. If I break my contract it will cause more problems than it solves,

What counts as full time work? My contract stipulates a minimum of 10 hours per week, but doesn't allow me to work anywhere else. Is that full time?

[tw]

[Zero Hero]

[cj750]

Contract or not..if the employer has less than contract specified hours then it is likely you will have a cut in salary. most contracts provide a clause that will cover this and remember that contract law and court procedures are not on the same administrative level. There fore it is very hard in court to prove that your contract stands as stated. A verbal contract change is acceptable in chinese court.
The 10 hours could be class room time with testing or office hours to make up the rest. You do not have the normal right to refuse overtime in China. Air fare is stated (usually) as a refund and there for e will conform to prearanged amounts or receipt based reinbursements. All income in china is susposed to be taxed with a deductable ammount decided by income bans. So the airfare can be taxed as well as housing. Working outside of the "work permit" is against the law and subject to fines and loss of permits..and yes I have seen then catch FTs working at other locations than their work units.

[tarzaninchina]

You gotta watch the legal minimums, as there are plenty. It's everything you negotiate on top of that which makes your contract livable. This, BTW, has been mentioned ad nauseum....

- kitchen (only if staying for longer than 6 months)
- airfare (between closest city in China to the city in your home country that's closest to China)
- etc.

[Mysterious Mark]

[tw]

[quote="Mysterious Mark"]