One Day of a Chinese Worker in a Foreign-Owned Factory
By Li Qiang, China Labor Watch

Li Qiang wrote the following description of his personal experience working in Xin Qiao Electronics, a Shenzhen factory that makes can openers for the U.S.-based Farberware company. Li worked at the factory in 1999 and 2000.

The alarm sounds at 7 o'clock. I am still very sleepy and want to sleep a little more. Five more minutes. I have to get up. I hurried to the toilet room. Somebody in there. Another person in the bathroom. Sixteen people in a small dorm, fighting for the access. One after another trying to get in. I finished brushing cursorily and went to the workshop. Most of time the workers don't eat breakfast to save some time and to have a little more sleep. I don't care a lot about money but do want to get a little more rest, since the night shift goes so late. The value of breakfast time, at least 10 minutes, means a lot for me.

The distance between the dorm and the workplace takes about seven to eight minutes to traverse. Workers are almost running on the way. We have to reach the workshop by 7:30 a.m. One minute late would cost 20 RMB, nearly a whole day's pay. My section is on the fourth floor of the factory building with 400 workers here. When I get in, most other co-workers are ready. Still two or three minutes left. I find a place to sit down for the moment, since when work begins, I have no time to sit.

The bell rings at 7:30. The work starts. The team foreman is shouting at us, "Faster, faster." We produce Farberware can openers. There are 23 people in my team. I do packaging, which is the last step, to put the final product in to the package.

From the beginning my hands keep working. In old days, workers were allowed to work sitting. However, the management found out that workers are more productive standing. The chairs were removed. We have to stand all day.

I am an experienced worker already, still, I feel my feet hurt after two hours. I have a small piece of wood, on which I could put one foot. It helps a little to get some rest for my feet. Because I was late, the girl next to me got it. After a while I feel really terrible and begged my neighbor to give that wood back to me. I pleaded but she doesn't want to do that at all. Soon the foreman noted the situation and came up: "what are you two talking about? Keep your mouth shut." It is the factory rule that no talking is allowed during work, or a fine is imposed.

The foreman has been helping at the beginning steps. It gives more pressure on those at latter steps. Because they work fast, we have to keep pace with them.

Without the piece of wood, I have to find some way to get some rest for my feet. The only way to do that is by going to the bathroom. I applied once four days ago for permission from the foreman. I am not sure. I hesitate. Perhaps in the afternoon. Already 11 o'clock. The lunch bread is one hour away. It is a moment I have been waiting since the very beginning. Every minute is a century. Twelve. The long-awaited bell is ringing.

I run to the cantina. Everyone is running. A lot of people before me when I get there. I join the long line. It is a very small cantina, unable to provide for the whole factory population of 3,500 people. About 1,000 could get their lunch. The two-thirds who are slow have to walk 20 minutes for their food. Our wages are low and the food costs are high. The lunch dish is two RMB per order. There is not too much in such a dish. Rice is little. Those who eat a lot have to take too. Little oil with some vegetable. Meat is rare. Only fat meat appears. Workers cannot eat it. Sometimes sand is in the rice. If you are not cautious enough, sand troubles your teeth and tongue. There is only a little cabbage in today's lunch. I fed myself with it and it is 12:40. To save time I lay on the lawn near the cantina as a noon nap.

In the afternoon, the work begins at 1:30 p.m. I go to my section at 1:15 with that piece of wood in mind. It turned out that the girl is earlier than me and claimed the wood already.

Once afternoon shift started, I keep calculating how much time is left to the end of the day. I am telling myself to hold on every minute. Three-thirty seems to be the end of all my persistence. I have to go to the bathroom for a little bit of rest. I ask for permission. The foreman looked at me at a glance and gave me five minutes. He fills my position when I leave, otherwise the whole line stops. The bathroom is on the same floor. For more than 400 people, there are only two toilets for public use. Some other people are before me, with the same wish to have a little rest. I walk around for about five minutes. I don't really want to go to bathroom but to get some rest. The most important thing is my feet. I come back to my work position.

Five-thirty ends the afternoon shift. I rush out of the workshop to the cantina. The same food. I take it back to the dorm. Feed myself. Lying on the bed. My roommates are also back, too tired to have a word.

Six-thirty is the beginning of the night shift. The daily quota for the team is 1,400 can openers. I numbered more than 900 in the day. Still more to go. After another three hours, seeing the end of day coming, I am a little cheered up. I check the time constantly. The final moment is 10:30. I hope that I am not going to be kept after the shift to do the cleaning, which takes another painful hour. Well, it turns out that the cleaning goes to five other co-workers. Sometimes when there is too much work, the overtime would go past midnight. The foreman will shout at everyone. Not today. It is a good day.

I went back to the dorm. I am the first one. Take a shower. There are eight bunker beds for the 16 people. Between the two lines of beds only a narrow corridor, allowing one person's passage. The dorm is only a place to lie down and sleep. I go to bed. I am so tired. But it is a good day. I prayed silently. Thank Him for my day. I fall in sleep in a minute.