Sweatshops.... Foxcon

[klingon 10]

I had never heard of Foxconn until this, but it seems they make stuff for lots of brands

 

Quote:

On an 84-degree day (29 C) at a Chinese factory housing some 400,000 workers, at least 2 of them were enjoying the Foxconn swimming pool. We know this because the notoriously secretive Foxconn CEO, Terry Gou, was showing off some of the workers' facilities to the press to ensure the world that he was not operating a sweatshop. Foxconn has received a great deal of attention lately after a rash of suicide attempts left 2 workers seriously injured and 9 people dead. While these numbers are relatively low compared to World Health Organization data showing a suicide rate of about 14 deaths per 100,000 Chinese, Foxconn contends that there were only one or two suicides a year previously at its Shenzhen factories. Today Gau announced that Foxconn has 70 psychiatrists and 100 voluntary workers trained to help prevent suicide. Great, problem solved.

 

As you probably know, Foxconn is behind the assemble of many major consumer electronics brands including HP, Nokia, Dell, and Apple -- the latter two have come out with statements expressing their respective concern.

 

Apple had this to say:

"We are saddened and upset by the recent suicides at Foxconn. We're in direct contact with Foxconn senior management and we believe they are taking this matter very seriously. A team from Apple is independently evaluating the steps they are taking to address these tragic events and we will continue our ongoing inspections of the facilities where our products are made."

 

And Dell this:

"We expect our suppliers to employ the same high standards we do in our own facilities. We enforce these standards through a variety of tools, including the Electronics Industry code of conduct, business reviews with suppliers, self-assessments and audits."

 

Apparently, "by all accounts, provides some of the best conditions for the Chinese workers it employees".

Makes you wonder what might be going on in others.

[thursday 1]

It's a huge campus. Foxconn employs over 900,000 worldwide.

 

Workers don't commit suicide 'cos they're lonely. It's probably gambling and drugs related. Can't pay back? Then die. Nothing to do with working conditions.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Not going to go away though

 

Quote:

The American electronics giant Apple was investigating damaging allegations last night that Chinese workers making its new iPad device were subjected to such "inhumane" treatment that some of them took their own lives by jumping off factory roofs.

 

Documents seen by The Independent reveal there are widespread failures by Apple's suppliers to respect standards on labour rights and safety specified by the company, which had sales of £30bn last year.

 

An update to the US firm's supplier codes in February revealed that a majority of its 102 facilities flouted its "rigorous" rules on working hours, which include a weekly limit of 60 hours a week – equivalent to 12 hours a day. Some 39 per cent broke rules on workplace injury prevention and 30 per cent broke guidelines on the management of toxic chemicals.

[thursday 1]

"limit of 60 hours a week – equivalent to 12 hours a day."

 

this just a copied piece from someone who doesn't know what hes on about.

 

60 hour week includes all day Saturday and a voluntary half Sunday. A lot of migrant workers prefer to work the hours to get as much as possible to send home.

[panhead_pete 27]

Its all over the news here. Not sure if the suicide rate would be higher there then the general population.

 

Is it inhuman to have someone work 6 weeks straight, 12 hour shifts, in 45C degree heat? If so much of what happens in the NW of West Oz wouldnt happen at all. Although most places insist now that every 14th day is taken off.

[Go Native 70]

China is doing nothing more than what the US, UK and many other nations did in the past. To become rich rapidly you basically need to exploit workers. Many nations of course used slavery to get rich, nothing better than having workers you don't even need to pay at all! China doesn't do that openly at least. Still lets face it China has one of the worst human rights records of any major economic nation so it's hardly surprising workers, especially migrant ones, are treated like shite. Western companies set up business in China purely and simply because of the low labour costs but I do think it's only right that they should be held accountable for maintaining better working conditions than one would normally expect in that country.

[panhead_pete 27]

Not all western businesses here in China treat their staff poorly GN. I know first hand ours dont and oddly enough the environmental regulations we are operating under are stricter in some senses then those I have worked under in Aus and the US. It surprised me too Not saying all the companies are like that, I just know we are not.

[Go Native 70]

Wasn't trying to suggest every company is the same but in the cases above it appears you have Chinese companies contracted by western companies. This is probably where the main issues occur. Western companies with branches in China I'm sure operate differently.

[panhead_pete 27]

Sadly it was reported last night here in China there was another jumper last night

 

The Honda factory workers have gone out on strike, I'd say that the worker's power is increasing in these big factories, even when the sadder events described above are taken into account.

[Mantas 3]

The revolution has begun. (again)

[panhead_pete 27]

Just hope it goes at a steady pace, the last thing the world needs now is the engine room of the global economy throwing a rod out through the block.

 

The sad thing about those guys who have died, is all the families left behind as most if not all are likely to be the only child.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Originally Posted By: panhead_pete

Sadly it was reported last night here in China there was another jumper last night

The Honda factory workers have gone out on strike, I'd say that the worker's power is increasing in these big factories, even when the sadder events described above are taken into account.

considering that China is meant to be Communist, the workers are MEANT tohave all the power

[Mantas 3]

Originally Posted By: panhead_pete

Just hope it goes at a steady pace, the last thing the world needs now is the engine room of the global economy throwing a rod out through the block.

The current situation in China has the potential to be something quite dramatic. There is something like 1100 million people in China. Less than fifth of them have actually benefited from the economic revolution.
Add to that the forced removal of 'peasants' from their homes to make way for factories.

[BigBoned 0]

Quote:

June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Ah Wei has an explanation for Foxconn Technology Group Chairman Terry Gou as to why some of his workers are committing suicide at the company’s factory near the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

“Life is meaningless,†said Ah Wei, his fingernails stained black with the dust from the hundreds of mobile phones he has burnished over the course of a 12-hour overnight shift. “Everyday, I repeat the same thing I did yesterday. We get yelled at all the time. It’s very tough around here.â€

Conversation on the production line is forbidden, bathroom breaks are kept to 10 minutes every two hours and constant noise from the factory washes past his ear plugs, damaging his hearing, Ah Wei said. The company has rejected three requests for a transfer and his monthly salary of 900 yuan ($132) is too meager to send home to his family, said the 21-year-old, who asked that his real name not be used because he is afraid of his managers.

At least 10 employees at Taipei-based Foxconn have taken their lives this year, half of them in May, according to the company, also known as Hon Hai Group. The deaths have forced billionaire founder Gou to open his factories to outside scrutiny and apologize for not being able to stop the suicides. Gou built his company into the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer and now clients from Apple Inc. to Hewlett-Packard Co. are probing the company’s working conditions.

Wonder what the truth is with this.

And how big is a factory with so many employees? Must be absolutely massive.