Working hours around the twelve hours: so far in China quite normal. Because of the customs dispute with the USA, the internal market is now to be strengthened. Citizens who have more free time spend more money, the plan said.
Shortly before 9 p.m. in Shanghais High-Tech district Pudong. For a few weeks now, the lights have been running out in the research department of the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI at nine o’clock. The employees are literally swept out of the company and do not continue to work until 10 or 11 p.m.
The background is the request of the state and party leadership of China to provide their well-deserved rest periods. This should lead to people spending more money. A request from the ARD At DJI remained unanswered.
The 27-year-old Xiao Hua is employed at DJI and likes the new regulation. In the past, his family had slept when he came home. Now he could still play with his children. He thinks it can be that he will spend a little more money in the future, because he is now better on it through more family time.
Better to rest as shop
Another employee wants to remain anonymous. He says he no longer has to go straight to bed when he comes home. Shop more through more free time? He doesn’t believe that. After all, it was still late in the evening and he prefers to rest.
A 28-year-old who also does not want to reveal her name, says she looks more away or is on the social media platform Xiaohongshu. Perhaps, she restricts it, it should also fill the time with more sensible. Another employee explains to do more sport now.
A few voices that are not representative, but still make it clear: just because working hours per day decreases by one to two hours does not necessarily increase consumption.
Action plan for the suggestion of the Inland demand
But that is the hope of communist state and party leadership. In March it presented a so -called action plan to stimulate internal demand. A point that has become even more important against the background of the customs and trade dispute with the USA. Because what does not go into export should be discontinued on the home market. In the action plan it says, for which the companies are attached:
Sewers in a factory for hats in Suqian, China. The government hopes to boost domestic demand by shorter working hours.
See laws Eight-hour days before
Actually crazy, you consider that China’s working law sets an eight-hour day or an average of 44 working hours per week. Why don’t many stick to it? Firstly, because it is not punished. There are various reasons for this, explains Katja Drinhausen, expert in China’s domestic policy at the Think-Tank Merics in Berlin. Especially with start-ups and young companies, it is a question of pride to get involved and work hard.
On the other hand, it is precisely in the manufacturing business that work migrants were dependent on overtime or wanted to do and want to do. The longer you work, the higher at the end of the earnings. In the past, labor law had been greatly undermined by the companies, but in some cases also by the employees themselves.
Mentality has to get involved
The mentality to contribute and build up the country has a tradition says in Drinhausen, and is also served by state and party leader XI Jinping. It could now be increasingly under pressure, where China’s economy comes under pressure with the USA with the United States.
For Katja Drinhausen, the main question arises as to how consistently the new rules are implemented. On the one hand, it remains to be seen whether there will really be a sustainable cultural change, said the China expert. In addition, it does not mean that employees who have a little more free time invested their money in consumption, cinema or new purchases immediately
The Chinese also pursued the world situation and now held their money together, said in it. They do this anyway, since the social network is much less extensive than in Germany. In the worst case, if you do not save for illness or unemployment, there is no money.
Numerous companies adhere to new requirements
DJI is not the only company in China that at least gives the appearance of adhering to the party’s specification. The household appliance manufacturer Midea already had in January: no meetings after work and no overtime.
According to February, the industrial group Haier prohibited its employees into the company on Saturdays and Sundays. Overtime would have to be approved one week in advance.
If you don’t feel like it anymore, you free ten days
The Pangdonglai mall and food chain recently made headlines in China. Their founder Yu Donglai introduced a special regulation: If you are fed up with the job, you can clear up to ten days in your company without having to justify this.
The corporate culture at Pangdonglai also stands out: seven-hour days, 30-40 days of vacation a year and no weekend work. Conditions that most Chinese can still only dream of.
