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China holiday 'makeup work' sparks backlash: Weibo topic hits 360M views as workers vow spending boycott
Ahead of China's week-long National Day holiday, the practice of shifting weekends to "make up" workdays is fueling online anger. A Weibo topic has drawn 360 million views, with young workers pledging zero spending during the break.
Why it matters
China is about to begin its week-long National Day holiday in early October, but the long-standing practice of "tiaoxiu" — shifting workdays so weekends before and after the break become workdays — is sparking fierce backlash on social media. Reuters reports that a Weibo topic translating roughly as "voices against holiday makeup work cannot be ignored" has racked up 360 million views and 120,000 discussions, the latest flare-up over grueling schedules, low pay and weak labor protections.
A boycott pledge
Suzy Li, a 27-year-old tourism worker, told Reuters she will not travel, order food delivery or take taxis during the holiday: "I will not contribute any consumer spending during these artificially created holidays," because "the system takes away weekends that should already belong to me." She called the practice "inhumane" and said policymakers keep it for "economic benefits, productivity gains and development goals." The report notes growing calls to punish employers through consumer boycotts or legal action — using buying power as leverage for labor rights, a new tactic highlighting deepening strain in the job market.
Structural roots
Analysts say the discontent stems from China's increasingly export-driven growth model, where intense competition among businesses to cut costs and prices limits wage growth and job opportunities, while pressuring workers to boost output through overtime. Workers wielding their spending power for better protections poses a new challenge to Beijing, which faces growing pressure to redistribute more of the country's economic growth to households.
Sources
Reuters (September 29, 2026; reporting by Claire Fu and Marius Zaharia).
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