A Family Working Together (Part 2)

June 28th, 2023:

Q: You’ve been with the factory since 2003, and you’ve witnessed each other’s growth over the years.

A: Absolutely. Back then, this whole area (he points around the factory) was nothing but wasteland – dirt roads and barren fields. There weren’t even proper roads, just muddy dirt paths. There were a few hills in the distance. See those tall buildings over there? There used to be small villages, with some small houses, and a few tiny factories. All of that’s gone now, everything’s been torn down, and the roads are paved. This factory here started as a tiny private business with just a handful of workers, and now it’s grown to thousands. People might now know it, passing by this huge industrial park, but there’s a lot more to it. It’s been quite the journey for the factory – it hasn’t been easy! Our factory even made it into the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Daily. The Big Story of a Small Button, that was the title of the article.

Q: That’s really inspiring! It’s a testament to both the workers and the factory. Is most of the production now done by machines – automated?

A: Yeah! I wouldn’t say the production process is fully automatic now, but I’m sure it’s pretty close. Some warehouses are now fully run by computers – AI, you know, such a big thing these days. And a lot of the other processes are automated. You don’t even need people to handle materials anymore. You just enter the work order into the computer. Orders come in through the computer, and you can leave it to the machines to take care of the rest.

Q: When you first joined, was most of the work still manual?

A: Oh, definitely. Back then, everything was done by hand. It was a very labor-intensive process; clothing accessories and stitching are what you call labor-intensive industries. We had production lines for resin buttons and metal buttons, and it was pure manual labor – button after button, zip after zip.

Q: So now that the factory has become more automated, it sounds like the machines have replaced a lot of tasks involved in manufacturing?

A: Yeah, that’s right.

Q: Does that mean fewer people are needed? Have people lost their jobs for this?

A: They did. Exactly. In the old days, every machine along the production line had a person standing in front of it. You needed a lot of people, so we had way more workers. Now, with automation, they just aren’t needed. The factory used to have 3,000 or 4,000 employees – now we’re down to just around 1,100.

Q: Where do most of the 1,100 workers come from?

A: Mostly from Guangxi, and Guizhou, with a lot from Hunan, Hubei, and Sichuan too. There are very few of us from the north. In fact, I think there are only two of us from Shandong here (points to his coworker at the post of security guards).

Q: Most from the Southern provinces. 

A: Exactly.

Q: What’s the gender ratio like? And the age breakdown?

A: More women than men, I’d say about 60% women. As for age, I think most workers are in their 30s or 40s. A lot of them started here when they were in their 20s, and now, well, we’ve been here a long time! To be honest, we’ve got a long workday, very loaded schedule. Young people these days don’t want that. They aren’t interested in coming to work here anymore.

Q: That’s something I’ve heard at other factories too – very few young people joining. Why do you think that is?

A: Well, for one, young people care more about freedom than money. They want to have fun, to live a life with excitement. They don’t mind if the salary’s a little lower as long as the job’s enjoyable. Here, the pay is higher than in other garment factories, but when you compare it to electronics factories, we lose out. In electronics, the work hours are shorter, and they get two days off a week. Here, we work long hours – 8 AM to 8 PM, sometimes even later, like 11 PM. After a quick shower and a bit of phone time, it’s already past midnight, and you have to go to bed, Then you have to be up early the next day and do it all over again. It’s relentless. Second, the environment—young people want cleaner, more comfortable workplaces. Our factory’s environment isn’t bad, but it’s not as clean as an electronics plant.

Q: So they’re looking for a balance between work and life, with some space for fun?

A: Exactly! If they have to work from 8 AM to 11 PM every day, they won’t be able to handle it. They won’t stay. But for people like me, in our 40s, with families to support, we don’t have much choice. We have to work hard. I’d say 60% of the workers here are married couples—at least 50%.

Q: Compared to other garment factories, the hours are long, but the pay is better, right?

A: Yes, our management is strict, but that’s why we’re more efficient. Every day we have a production plan. Let me give you an example: if you’re making zippers, and your target is 500 pieces a day, you have to meet that quota. If you’re fast, you can be done by 7 PM and go home. But if you’re slow, you might not finish until 11 PM. It’s all about how quickly you can work.

Q: Of the 1,100 workers here, where do most of them come from?

A: Mostly from Guangxi and Guizhou, with quite a few from Hunan, Hubei, and Sichuan too. You don’t see many from the north. In fact, from Shandong, where I’m from, there’s only two of us.

Q: Oh, so mainly from the southern regions. And how’s the gender ratio? What about their ages?

A: Women make up about 60%. As for age, most are over 30 or 40. Many of us started in the factory when we were in our 20s. To be honest, this job takes a lot of time. Young people don’t want to come here anymore.

Q: I’ve noticed that trend in other clothing factories as well—young people are scarce. Why do you think that is?

A: Well, for young people, it’s not just about the salary. They care about freedom—they need a job that’s fun. They don’t mind a lower salary if the work lets them enjoy life a bit. Compared to other clothing factories, the pay here is higher. But if you compare it to electronics factories, we don’t stand a chance. Electronics factories have shorter hours, plus weekends off. Here, we work long hours, with just Sundays off. You’re on from 8 AM to 8 PM, sometimes even till 11 PM. After that, it’s a quick shower, maybe scroll through your phone, and by the time you sleep, it’s past midnight. Then you’re up early again the next day—it’s like that every day. Once in a while, maybe it’s ok, but doing that everyday? It’s too much for young people.

Second, the environment. Young people like clean, neat, square, modern workplaces. Clothing factories aren’t as clean as electronics factories. Our factory isn’t bad, but it’s still not what they’re looking for.

Q: Right, they want a balance between work and life, some space for fun outside of their jobs.

A: Exactly. They need some downtime. If you ask them to sit there and work from 8 AM until 11 or 12 at night, they can’t take it. They just can’t sit still for that long. But if you can handle it, the pay is good – easily over 10,000 yuan a month if you’re fast.

Q: Over 10,000 a month is quite good compared to other factories.

A: Well, that’s true, but think about it – you’re working 15 or 16 hours a day. It’s like doing two months’ worth of work in one. Young people just can’t manage it. But for those people in our 40s, they have no choice because they have elderly parents to take care of and kids to raise. They need a steady job. They have to buckle down and work. I’d say at least 60% of the workers here are married couples, at least 50% for sure.

Q: So compared to other factories, the hours are similar, but the pay is better, right?

A: That’s right. We’re stricter with management, which means better output and efficiency. Every day, we have a production plan. For example, let’s say you’re on the zipper line, and your task for the day is 500 zippers – you have to hit that 500. If you don’t, you better have a good reason. Because every order has a deadline. If the client places an order, they expect delivery in 15 days, and we have to meet that deadline. From the moment the order comes in, everything is planned out – how long it will take, who will do it, and what stage each order is in, everything. All the progress and updates are trackable on the computer, so the team leaders know exactly what needs to be done each day. The production team gives you your daily goal, and there’s no way around it. If you don’t, it’s not acceptable. The work is intense, and you need to stay highly focused.

Q: That kind of intensity and focus must be hard to maintain for older workers. Can older workers keep up with that?

A: Yeah, it gets tough as we get older. That’s why I switched to security when I hit retirement age. The pay is lower, but the workload is lighter, not as demanding. I work eight hours a day, and even if I have to work overtime twice a week, it’s no big deal. My wife retired too but got rehired as a temp worker.

Q: How’s the pay for temp workers? Is it still based on piecework?

A: She’s a skilled worker, so her rate is higher than others – about 1.3 times what a regular worker gets. So, if you’re at 1, she’s at 1.3.

Q: Oh, so the rate is actually better after being rehired?

A: Yeah, well, because temp workers don’t get a base salary or any other benefits, like company contribution to medical insurance or pension plan. They only earn based on how much they produce.

Q: Is the retirement age here the same as the national standard – 60 for men, 50 for women?

A: Yeah, exactly the same. Women retire at 50, men at 60. It’s aligned with regulatory standards; they force you to retire once you hit that age.

Q: I’ve heard that some women retire at 55 though, does that happen here too?

A: Sure, female managers retire at 55. But most women retire at 50, unless you’re in a specialized position, like administrative or technical roles, then you might retire later.

Q: What kind of specialized roles?

A: Office jobs like administration, finance, HR, or supervision. They might retire a bit later, but once they do, they won’t get rehired.

Q: So when your wife was rehired, she didn’t return to her old position?

A: No, you can’t go back to your old job after you retire. It’s just not good, not sustainable, for the factory’s long-term growth.

Coworker: Yeah, the company has rules about this. We’ve got about 80,000 employees across the whole Weixing Group. If you’ve worked in Shenzhen, you can’t transfer to the Weixing factories in Shanghai or Tianjin. If you’ve worked at Weixing in Chongqing city, you wouldn’t be able to work here at Shenzhen Weixing either. Everything’s connected in the system – they can check your record, no matter where you’ve been.

Q: Earlier, you mentioned that at least 50% of the workers here are couples. Do most of their kids live back in their hometowns?

A: For people our age, most of our kids are already in, even almost done, with college.

Q: And for those in their 30s? Where are their kids?

A: A few have their kids in schools here, but most leave them back home under the care of grandparents. The kids visit during the summer or winter breaks. Or over winter breaks, it’s more like we going back to our homestowns and visiting our kids. The company gives us 15 days off for the Chinese New Year, and they even arrange buses to shuttle us back home, so there’s no need to worry about train tickets.

Q: What about other holidays like National Day or Labor Day? Do you get those off?

A: We get all the national holidays. The company follows the rules pretty strictly.