The Bureau of Foreign Experts is the competent authority to deal with employer-employee disputes and to mediate in any conflict that may arise.

In theory,you're right.But in practice,it should only be used as a last resort,its arbitration arm based in Beijing,called "The State Bureau for the Administration of Foreign Experts.Said arm arbitrates in cases of unresolvable disputes between FT's & their employers throughout the country and is a central body.Some FT's confuse it with the Foreign Affairs Office at the school where they teach.But that body won't help an FT dissatisfied with his (or her) employer because it is composed of Chinese teachers working for the same employer!Even worse,for example,it can report said FT to the PSB for presumed behavior contrary to Chinese customs and culture.Then said FT will likely have his residence permit terminated.Its primary function is to spy on louwai!

It even can be found in many contracts as one of the clauses

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Yes,one should make sure the arbitration clause is in said state contract before signing it.It's most important that's there,or else your last resort isn't there,making you vulnerable to possible financial cheating or other unfair treatment by your employer.

I have had several cases with previous employers in China where said Bureau intervened successfully on my behalf - as long as you are working legally in China and have a residence permit.

You must have been employed by several very rascally employers necessitating you to take things to the top after mediation attempts failed.Of course,you can only do so if you are teaching legitimately and the aforementioned arbitration cluse is in your contract.But then you have to prove your case there,maybe a hard thing to do!

You are talking b...shit, A., and your "counter advice" is based on ignorance and non-knowledge of the matter. Or, you are most likely one of those many FTs in China who work there illegally, and then you would not know. If you appealed to said Bureau without having a legal status, you would even risk to be found out and get deported!

I'd have to disagree with you.If he's working illegally,he might well have more clout than those FT's working legally.He can 'vanish' without fear of facing fines,and his employer will resolve his complaints under threat of said FT reporting him to the PSB,who'd fine the employer very heavily.As for being 'deported',let's be clear that the word means to be made to return to your homeland by a foreign country in which you were living.In fact,FT's found working illegally in China,and that includes those with unauthorised teaching jobs on the side in certain provinces,won't be deported as such.But they'll have to exit China within several days of paying their fines.They can go to a bordering foreign country for a short holiday,while obtaining a new Chinese visa from the Chinese visa office in said country's capital city,and then return to China.Another good thing is that louwai have the right to seek jobs in China while vacationing in the country.In the West,no way Hose!Deportation will await you if you're caught with an L visa seeking employment!

Alex,are you there?Try to be less abrasive in your upcoming posts.Let's try not to upset one another!