CHINA
The Chinese Government is continuing to boost the pay of its 40 million Public Servants as part of its anti-corruption campaign.
However, while the extra pay has been welcomed, some Government workers say they are now working harder for fewer perks, while still receiving what they feel is a meagre salary compared with other workers.
For the first five years of his career as a municipal PS employee in Beijing, Wang Shan (not his real name) did not see a pay rise.
Then, in 2015, his monthly salary more than doubled, from 3,000 yuan (A$630) to 7,000 yuan (A$1,500)
However, he says that at the same time his workload increased, some benefits he used to enjoy have been gradually whittled away and his performance is being tightly watched.
Mr Wang’s Department used to organise trips for all its employees at least once a year, but such activities have been deemed extravagant and no longer occur.
The rules have become so tight that many PS staff also need to exhibit frugality in their personal affairs.
Weddings have become sensitive, and there are tight rules governing who and how many to invite and what venues to hold them in.
The November 2015 pay rise was the first in nine years for China’s PS employees.
The increase was also backdated to October 2014.
New rules were also introduced to give PS staff increases every two years, starting in 2016, when combined basic salaries rose roughly 300 yuan (A$63) at the lowest level and about 3,000 yuan at the highest.
These increases have been widely interpreted as a way to deter corruption and bribery and hold Government workers accountable for their performance by giving them a more transparent and liveable wage.
In the past, low pay has been singled out as a factor driving workers to seek supplementary sources of income, thus contributing to corruption.
Beijing, 23 April 2019
