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
    611·
    16 days 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
      193·
      16 days 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
      8·
      16 days ago

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

      • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        72·
        16 days 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.

  • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    261·
    16 days ago

    Proletariat Uprising

    Power to the people!

    To quote the CCP (which is ironic, given they are the oppressors): “革命无罪，造反有理！” (Revolution is not a Crime, Rebellion is Just!)

  • markovs_gun@lemmy.worldEnglish
    91·
    15 days ago

    Idk. On one hand I really appreciate the energy but on the other hand this is kind of fucked up for everyone else that works there, and I assume there were people inside when he did this. Like what are all his coworkers going to do for work now that the factory is burned down? I know that’s part of why capitalism sucks but it’s not like they can do anything about it as individuals.