soulbottles steel made in china: working hours & wages
How is a fair wage calculated and what are the working hours like in Zhejiang Province?
In part IV of our updates on soulbottles steel from China, founder Paul explains how we are working with our local partners to further improve the conditions in our production.
Here comes the (for now) last article in our small series with a look behind the (production) scenes of our newly launched soulbottles steel. I have provided links to the previous articles on the topics of fire protection, occupational safety and our motivation and larger goals .
At soulbottles, fairness, respect and transparency are very important to us. Regardless of whether it is production conditions or salaries, we play with open cards: all employees have access to business analyses, protocols, etc. and have the opportunity to have a say in issues and change processes. We want to pass on as much of our philosophy as possible to our production partners: whether in Thuringia or in Zhejiang.
Among many other factors, fair wages are a sign of respect and fairness .
soulbottles in China: What does fair wage look like?
Germany has a relatively high minimum wage compared to other countries around the world. Most other countries around the world have a comparatively lower wage level. This does not automatically mean that these are unfair. The cost of living is often lower, for example.
In places where minimum wages are low or non-existent, we pay special attention to ensuring that the people who produce our products receive fair wages. But "fair" does not just mean "above average" or "more than minimum wage."
Our partner factory is located in the Zhejiang region, south of Shanghai. Like many coastal regions in China, Zhejiang has a higher average wage than rural regions. The legal monthly minimum wage is 1800 ¥ (around 231 €).
We base our calculations on the living wage. This is determined by independent organizations for regions around the world and describes the wage needed for a decent life . This includes rent, food costs, clothing, transportation, healthcare, and provisions for unexpected events. The living wage in the Zhejiang region is around ¥4,200 (€540) per month. As you can see, there is a clear difference between the minimum wage and the living wage. The calculation is not 100% accurate because the living wage given was determined in the capital city of Hangzhou, where life is significantly more expensive than in the surrounding region.
Even before we started working together on our soulbottles stainless steel drinking bottles , we looked at the wages. On average, workers in our production facility earn ¥4,500 (€578) a month. That probably still sounds very low to many people, but in our opinion it is appropriate in this region and exceeds the calculated living wage. A good basis, then, to continue working on the issue together.
Wages are only fair in relation to working hours
In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges we have seen in many factories in China is the issue of working hours. Chinese law stipulates a maximum working time of 44 hours per week. In reality, however, this is very different in many Chinese companies. This applies not only to stainless steel bottles, but to many products manufactured in China.
