If we start to think about the plight of young people seeking jobs today, maybe we will stop complaining about what our bosses have been doing to us for the past week. At least they are paying us. Those who aren't as lucky as us and who can't find work (mainly fresh college graduates) are begging for a job by making a "zero salary" concession to employers (China Youth Daily, December 12).

The current job seeking crisis is something new: some college students are conveying to their potential employers a message that they are willing to trade their salaries for the first few months for an opportunity of a job position. This is called "zero payment" job seeking.

There may be sound reasons to justify such a hurry to "enslave" ourselves. The current job market has been extremely hostile to job seekers, especially those just out of college. On almost every occasion, three-years of work experience is required for a position. But job experience is certainly not an asset fresh graduates can boast of having. No one wants to spend resources to train a college graduate. Employees want a quick start on the job and even fewer employers would like to see their trained staff go to their competitors leaving the costs of training to be borne by the first employer. But how can a fresh graduate get job experience in the first place without the opportunity of getting employed?

Long gone are the days when college students did not have to worry about finding a job and could even ask for high salaries. Also gone are the days when women college students would attach sexy photographs to their resumes (because in a sluggish job market, a sexy girl at most attracts males but certainly does not attract male CLIENTS). So the day has now arrived when job seekers have to sell themselves to employers at an extremely low price, if not for nothing at all.

But "zero salary" employment does not seem to help job seekers much. On the contrary, it is starting to generate a vicious cycle, in which the status and competitiveness of college job seekers is being degraded.

Moreover, some employers, given unmatched power in bargaining with job seekers, smile at such an opportunity to exploit employees while at the same time circumventing the regulations of China's Labour Law which provides for the mandatory signing of labour contracts between employers and employees and provides for a minimum level of wages or salary as protection for employees.

It does not require much wisdom to see that the law stops being a moot topic only when the parties have similar bargaining powers.

In the current employment crisis, it is the employee who is begging to be paid no salary at all, giving the employer the opportunity to circumvent the law.

It is true that the job market is getting increasingly stiff. But I believe the day is far off when job seekers should give up their salary for a job. If an employer wants to hire someone just because he or she does not want a salary for several months, then why should the employer ever try hiring such a person at all?

But someone would ask, if L'Oreal can give free samples of lotion, if KFC can give free ice-cream, if any new kind of products can give free trial samples, why cannot a labourer give himself or herself to an employer for free for a trial period?

It is because, presumably, if this logic is true, it would also suggest trial marriages when no one is owed any obligation by the other. After three months of trial "marriage", just hop onto another partner. (Unfortunately, this is really what is happening now. So I will stop nagging).

I had previously thought that modern "slaves" at least were "slaves" who got paid. But now I discover that I am wrong because today's "slaves", just like their ancient counterparts, don't get paid.

Maybe it won't be long before job seekers are supposed to say: "Hey, what about hiring me if I pay you a salary?"

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