Job Discussion Forums

SydGirl2 · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 50

I have been teaching at a language/enrichment centre in Singapore for just over 3 months. My contract states that I get $ /month, $ housing allowance and *****weeks holiday per year. After Christmas, 2 new teachers who have been working at a rival company will commence work. They will get more pay and holidays than the rest of us. They have no extra qualifications, in fact I believe they were asked to leave their company as their qualifications weren't good enough. Given that I have similar qualifications and do the same job, could I try to renegotiate my contract to increase my holidays and pay? As I have only been at the centre a short time I am not sure if this is a wise move. Can anyone advise me? Thanks.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

that's the wordl of TEFL. I have six years experience, am a qualified teacher with an MA and people waltz into Peru, no experience and get 400 usd more. Why? they were hired abroad. and not married to Peruvians.

You probably cvan't renegotiate, but it's worth a try, just make sure you have a back up plan if asked to leave.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

No, you can't. You signed a contract. You agreed to do X work for X dollars. They agreed too. Just because they are now offering somebody else a better deal doesn't change your current one. Maybe you should wait until next contracting period, and negotiate then, but remember if you try to renegotiate a contract that you already signed upwards, they may 'try' (this means 'dictate') to renegotiate a contract downwards at any given time as well. Rolling Eyes

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject:

I usually think "a deal's a deal," but I've gotta disagree with GBBB this time.

A contract is a contract. But it is NOT a promise to stay on under abusive circumstances. And yes, I guess I find having equally qualified people do the same work for different pay abusive.

If my employer hired someone equally qualified to me, to do equal work, for more money, I'd walk.

If that's their business style, I don't know that I'd be interested in renegotiating, to tell you the truth.

But keep what NG said in mind- if you try to renegotiate, you're doing it by threatening to walk, either overtly, or by implication. I wouldn't, if you're bluffing.

Best,
Justin

fluffyhamster · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 9:09 am Post subject:

Way back at the start of my ELT career, I was working for EF in Shanghai for the princely sum of $400 pcm (accommodation, health insurance and airfares were provided), as were those who'd been there a while and were veterans. There were rumblings of discontent from the trenches however (conditions were I suppose not ideal, and there was a fair bit of mismanagement going on...plus living in a large city can be expensive), so guess what EF did - THEY DOUBLED EVERYONE'S WAGES, INCLUDING MINE! ( Surprised

). There was no "divide the workforce and retain the services of some whilst saving money with the newbie others" (sort of the reverse of the OP and naturegirl's similar "divide the workforce to attract the services of some whilst saving money with the oldie others" situations) - I doubt if I would have been happy for long had I been the only one to remain on $400.

So there we had a story of EF being pretty decent - yes, you heard right, EF. (I myself don't have much against them, but like I say, that was a while ago, and things seem to have changed as their franchise has expanded in China at least, if the varied comments on Dave's are anything to go by). Sounds like the OP and naturegirl's employers are hardly being fair or showing much appreciation. Still, just imagine if one hadn't learnt what the others were earning - one would probably still be willing to make do with what one had before (just being philosophical/"realistic" here).