Abstracts
Summary
Based on qualitative interviews of workers, managers and labour inspectors in China, we examine how employers adjust, often in subtle fashions, to minimum wage increases. Our findings highlight the “law of unintended consequences” in that their effects are often “undone” or offset by subtle adjustments such as reductions in fringe benefits and in overtime work and overtime pay premiums that are otherwise valued by employees. Employees often feel that they are no better off in spite of minimum wage increases because of these offsetting adjustments.
This study also suggests possible reasons for the small or zero effect of minimum wage on employment in China. Lack of enforcement may be one of the reasons, but the employees we interviewed seem well aware of the legal minimum wage and employers do not want to get involved in disputes over this matter. For employers who would otherwise be affected by the minimum wage increase, the cost increase is mitigated by the offsetting adjustments. As a result, minimum wages do not seem to weaken the competitive position of employers in China.
Keywords:
- minimum wages,
- enforcement,
- adjustment mechanisms,
- fringe benefits,
- overtime
Résumé
En s’appuyant sur des entrevues qualitatives menées auprès de travailleurs, de gestionnaires et d’inspecteurs du travail en Chine, nous examinons comment les employeurs s’ajustent, souvent de manières subtiles, aux hausses du salaire minimum. Nos résultats mettent en lumière une « loi aux conséquences inattendues », à savoir que les effets de ces hausses sont souvent « annulés » ou compensés par de subtiles ajustements, tels que des réductions dans les avantages sociaux ou dans le temps supplémentaire, ou encore, dans les primes pour temps supplémentaire, lesquelles sont, par ailleurs, valorisées par les employés. Aussi ces derniers ont souvent le sentiment que leurs conditions ne se sont pas améliorées, en dépit de hausses du salaire minimum, à cause de ces effets d’ajustement.
L’étude pointe également vers certaines explications concernant l’effet réduit ou nul du salaire minimum sur l’emploi en Chine. L’absence d’application peut, sans doute, être une de ces raisons, mais les employés interviewés semblent bien au fait du salaire minimum légal tandis que, de leur côté, les employeurs ne veulent pas se retrouver aux prises avec des conflits sur cette question. Pour les employeurs qui pourraient être affectés par de telles hausses, la hausse des coûts se trouve amoindrie par les effets compensateurs mentionnés. Ceci a pour résultat que le salaire minimum ne semble pas affaiblir la position concurrentielle des employeurs chinois.
Mots-clés:
- salaires minimum,
- application,
- mécanismes d’ajustement,
- avantages sociaux,
- temps supplémentaire
Resumen
Basándose en entrevistas cualitativas de trabajadores, directivos e inspectores de trabajo en China, se examina cómo los empleadores ajustan el aumento del salario mínimo, a veces de maneras sutiles. Nuestros resultados resaltan la “ley de consecuencias no intencionales” y que sus efectos son frecuentemente “no realizados” o compensados por sutiles ajustes tales como las reducciones en el margen de beneficios y en el tiempo suplementario de trabajo y la prima de trabajo suplementario que constituyen otras formas de ingresos para los empleados. Con frecuencia, los empleados no resienten ninguna mejora a pesar de los aumentos al salario mínimo, y esto debido a esos ajustes compensatorios. Este estudio sugiere también ciertas razones para el poco o nulo efecto del salario mínimo sobre el empleo en China. La falta de aplicación puede ser una de esas razones, pero los empleados que hemos entrevistado parecen conscientes del salario mínimo y los empleadores no quieren estar envueltos en disputas sobre este asunto. Para los empleadores que pueden ser afectados por el aumento del salario mínimo, el aumento del costo es mitigado por los ajustes compensatorios. El resultado es que los salarios mínimos no parecen debilitar la posición competitiva de los empleadores en China.
Palabras claves:
- salarios mínimos,
- aplicación,
- mecanismos de ajustes,
- margen de beneficios,
- tiempo suplementario
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Appendices
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