While police dispute the story, Chinese netizens express sympathy for “800 Brother” over how workers are treated.

A Chinese factory employee set fire to a textile plant in China’s southwestern Sichuan province in his frustration over unpaid wages of just 800 yuan (or US$111), according to videos posted on social media and eyewitness accounts shared with Radio Free Asia.

  • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    111·
    17 hours ago

    I doubt they actually owe ¥800 in total, because they could have just pay 99 other workers ¥8 less and can still pay this person ¥792, this way, the factory owner only owes ¥8 to 100 different individuals rather than oweing ¥800 to one individual. I doubt someone is gonna do arson for ¥8 delayed payment.

    So I assume they probably owe other employees as well. Just to illustrate:

    If they owe ¥800 to 100 employees, each.

    That’s ¥80 000 Yuan/RMB ≈ $11 140 USD

    A lot of debt.