Dazzer, I agree, although the real problem is broader than that.

Not sure local Chinese teachers make 150/h. even now. I think that makes the issue of foreign teachers' pay increases a somewhat complicated consideration.

The local teachers in my daughter's high school found ways to supplement their income significantly, and they leveraged their (near monopoly) position.

One example was the English teacher saying that all students must have 4 hours weekend English tutoring. The tutor was her brother. The tutor groups numbered 20 students.
I am not sure how many students the English teacher had been able to re-direct to these 'must have classes' (and if it was a reciprocal arrangement with her brother), but that is a lot of money.
I said, 'No'. I am sure many parents just paid up, and some just to avoid poor grades, in retaliation.
There was also a 'bribe'culture at the school, for which the principal was eventually fired.

A more common, 'legal' custom, is for teachers to receive gifts at certain times of year.

Another example, the fiance of a member of extended family was in an aviation university. He passed all of his exams, but was told he could not graduate unless he paid the Director 500k rmb.

If there are two examples that have touched my extended family, then I am sure that there are others out there.

BTW, I wish to point out that I am not saying all teachers/principals are dirty, they are not; but some are.

@Tiger: Maybe if the local teachers got raises there would be fewer of them doing this kind of thing?

They have had raises/salary development, and rightly so. I am not sure what the base pay for local teachers is now, I think someone said 7 or 8 k per month.
I know local teaching assistants (fresh out of college) who get between 4.5 and 5k per month.
Kind of dispels the myth that local teachers are all only earning 30rmb/hour.

Oh, okay, I didn't know that - you mean in public schools, universities, private language schools, or what? 7-8 k a month is not bad.

I am talking of basic education and high schools (private and public). Chinese universities have a higher bar for teacher entry for Chinese nationals to teach, than they do for foreigners teaching English, and so a comparison is not like for like.
Private language schools' rates will be up to the owners, some of whom are a bit sucky. The bar of academic achievement will also be lower than those in the state schools, cost being the driver in the former, statutory requirements for the latter.

2 of my brother in law, are working construction in Sichuan, both have a new car and bought a house.

My wife asked about their pay and both of them depending on work and contracts they make about 8k+.

But they work project to project and may also be without work for a bit.

Work safety has changed a lot and they do like their work.

One of them is going to Kunming for a year for a construction contract around Xishan soon.

They aren't foreman, technicians or engineers.

This idea that every and all construction workers are slaves living in poverty and poor conditions is a myth.

Sure there are some but things have gotten better.

Dazzer, if you look around, you can find much better rates than 150, certainly for teaching time. I know a training school that pays 300 per hour in the first year, 350 in the 2nd.

@Haali: Such a training school must feed off rather elite parents, no? Requires better and better-qualified teachers? I've taught such students in other places, always wondered if the privileges provided them were making things better or worse, all around. Much of a mixed bag, I suppose.

I always here talk of 'going rates' for teaching in China. Surely rates should be based on a teacher's amount of expertise/experience?