300 Foxconn Workers Threaten Mass Suicide Over Raise

[spasmolytic46]

[citation][nom]JasonAkkerman[/nom]And people complain about the greed of American companies (I'm not saying it doesn't exist, it obviously does)?At least we don't get exploited like that.I really feel bad for those workers.[/citation]

They would if they could.

 

[Guest]

[citation][nom]JasonAkkerman[/nom]And people complain about the greed of American companies (I'm not saying it doesn't exist, it obviously does)?At least we don't get exploited like that.I really feel bad for those workers.[/citation]

?

No, we just outsource our exploitation.

It's cheaper that way

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]bnova[/nom]You can't Unless you plan not to buy any electronics at all.[/citation]

so everything you buy is from them? they are only 2 million strong, there have to be outside vendors that never touch foxcon.

[citation][nom]intelliclint[/nom]Foxconn is one of the largest manufactures of electronics components. Even companies like LG and Whirlpool have used their parts. You will have a hard time avoiding them, in fact you are unlikely to even know, after all they re-brand their parts. So why are we asking MS to watch a company when China government policies is just as much to blame.Course an Xbox all US manufacture == cost $800 but at least you know the folks building it got more than $1000 a year, and didn't have to live in the company dorms, eat at their mess hall, and work 12 to 16 hours a day.[/citation]

like i really believe that if the working area was in a first world nation the cost of manufactureing would jump 4X the current cost. most of the jobs there are minimum wage level jobs, "put all screws into this template, screw in, do it again" costs would probably jump a bit, but most of the work would be handled by robots, and less humans would be used, china uses humans because its cheaper to pay 100 than to build 1 robot to do the task better and faster.

[citation][nom]zak_mckraken[/nom]If they'd really care about workers, they'd build their products in the USA. Outsourcing is cheap, but it still comes with a price...[/citation]

its better than them getting a union, demanding 30$ an hour, and than benefits that equal 40-60000 a year, i doubt that would happen but it could.

[citation][nom]megahustler[/nom]Go to your boss and threaten suicide, unless you get a raise. Be sure to let me know how it turns out.[/citation]

no, you dont go to boss, you go to the roof with big paper/cloth banners, and a megaphone, and a dummy to toss off as an example, and an ultimatum of 24 hours, but only do this after calling media.

they come, and i guarentee you will get the raise, and the higher ups wont get those bounses for a few years, but you will be put on a very short what you can do leash, they will be looking for a screwup to fire you over.

 

[Netherscourge]

Threatening suicide not only doesn't get you a raise in the US, it'll help your boss avoid paying for your unemployment checks.

 

[vigilante212]

I see all you people complaining about companies not caring about working conditions overseas, but you fail to realize that if they did not use cheap labor the costs of your oh so needed electronics would go up. Then you would just complain that prices were too high.

 

[willard]

I love how people are putting all the blame on the companies for outsourcing to cheap Chinese labor. How many of you would buy the products if they cost twice as much because they're made in America. The consumer is the reason this is done, the companies are only giving us what we demand. You bitch and you bitch and you bitch about how expensive SSDs and tablets are, then moments later say the companies should be taking measures to increase the costs?

The hypocrisy is appalling. One moment you're acting like an entitled brat demanding easier access to luxury items like computers that fit in your pockets, and the very next you vilify the very measures taken to meet your demands.

You've got to choose. Do you want your toys cheap built by workers exploited so badly that they'd rather die than go on working, or do you want to pay more so these people can be paid a decent wage? Because every time you post on here bitching about how brand new technology is too expensive, you're voting for the former.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

[teddymines]

Everyone can stand down now. Microsoft has opened up an investigation!

 

[Guest]

I willingly pay the 15-20% premium for fairtrade food and textiles, I imagine many other Toms readers do to.
The problem here is that we seemingly have no choice but to purchase from companies like foxconn, especially for proprietary goods from Microsoft and Apple. Who else are you going to buy a 360 from?
We only hear of the bad - does anyone know of ethically sound manufacturers of electrical goods (do they even exist)?

 

[Ozlin]

And the president of Hon Hai (parent company of Foxconn) was given speech to Taiwanese students like nothing has happened.

The profit margins of these contract manufacturers are nothing compare to those of Apple, Microsoft, etc. So before speculating about price increase, you have to consider their profit margins. There are reasons why CMs like Foxconn are fighting pennies with their employees.

 

[RealBeast]

[citation][nom]whiteodian[/nom] . . . This is just a PR stunt.Hmm. I wonder if I could get enough of my co-workers to try this. Just a bluff of course. . . . [/citation]

The hard part is finding a couple guys that will jump to show them you're serious.

 

[mikenygmail]

[citation][nom]Realbeast[/nom]The hard part is finding a couple guys that will jump to show them you're serious.It's a sad world we live in[/citation]

Since you must have been living in a cave for the last year, let me enlighten you. Several Foxconn workers have already committed suicide due to horrible working conditions and ridiculously long hours.

It's a sad world we live in when the only bargaining chip the "little guys" have is a threat of mass suicide.

 

[sliem]

This particular plant manufacturers the Xbox 360 console...

Wha...?

 

[mm0ety]

[citation][nom]freggo[/nom]If you have 900,000 employees all sorts of unpleasant things will happen and if you publish a 'report' on those selected incidents you can make a company look worse than they may be.This is not to say that the working conditions in 3rd world countries are often well below our 'current' standards !But think about what we did 100 years ago (kids working in mines) or even as little as 50 years ago.Unthinkable today for us. These countries are simply going thru the same motions that we did.We should not forget that we had 'separate bathrooms' as recent as the 1960s... i.e. the "Jim Crow laws" ![/citation]
that's the biggest bs Ive ever heard. they are not going through a learning experiance foxconn is just outright greedy bastards. They bluffed the workers and when they all left the company they didnt want to pay. this is not a motion they are going through. its black and white greed. just as it was in 1960. just because someone else does something stupid doesn't mean everyone else has to. This isnt evolution when we know the truth from the start. Its just an evil person doing an evil deed no matter what year it is.

 

[chumly]

They work 36 hour shifts, Microsoft. Vendor code of conduct, my ass, you just want your money.

 

[anti-painkilla]

Those robots sure are looking nicer now...

 

[Guest]

Steve Jobs: "So, I can tell you a few things that we know ... ummm ... and we're ... we're all over this. FOXCONN is not a sweatshop. You go to this... place and it's a factory ... ahh ... but, my gosh, I mean, they've got ... restaurants and movie theaters and hospitals and swimming pools and I mean it's a ... it's a ... for a factory, it's a pretty nice factory."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gOu50HaEvs

 

[willard]

[citation][nom]stuart72[/nom]I willingly pay the 15-20% premium for fairtrade food and textiles, I imagine many other Toms readers do to. The problem here is that we seemingly have no choice but to purchase from companies like foxconn, especially for proprietary goods from Microsoft and Apple. Who else are you going to buy a 360 from?We only hear of the bad - does anyone know of ethically sound manufacturers of electrical goods (do they even exist)?[/citation]
Agreed. I try to only buy fair trade coffee to avoid encouraging the exploitation of the people producing them. Costs a bit more, but I think many of the fair trade blends taste better anyway. Maybe it's just the satisfaction knowing nobody died to deliver something so mundane as a cup of coffee, but that's just me.

Coffee is basically the only thing I have access to that's fair trade, but I'd gladly pay a little more here and there to promote this kind of thing.

I'm probably starting to sound pretty damn preachy now, so I'll go ahead and shut the hell up.

 

[Guest]

First of all, Foxconn is a Taiwanese company. Second, threatening suicide over a pay raise is just plain stupid. Find another job that pays better - problem solved.

 

[Maxor127]

[citation][nom]NightLight[/nom]why is this suddenly MS 's fault? You can't be responsible for a subcontractor!! this is foxconn's fault, exploiting their workers, no one elses. sounded more like: FOR CARDASSIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA[/citation]
If this was about Apple instead of Microsoft, everyone would be singing a different tune.

 

[teddymines]

"This isn't the first time Foxconn has dealt with suicides. Back in 2010, over a dozen Foxconn employees committed suicide, forcing the company to install suicide prevention nets at some of its facilities."

So the company's response was to INSTALL NETS??? How about addressing the reasons behind the suicides!

 

[rawful]

[citation][nom]Maxor127[/nom]If this was about Apple instead of Microsoft, everyone would be singing a different tune.[/citation]

Nope same tune. I put Microsoft and Apple in the exact same boat. Apple just has incredibly annoying fanboys that Microsoft doesn't really have.

It is terrible that employees have to commit suicide, or even just threaten to, to try to make enough money to live. It is not worth it to give us cheaper toys. I guarantee you that if they were paid American wages, the prices of things would not skyrocket beyond belief. Why? Because nobody would buy them. The profits of the company might go much lower, the executive bonuses might shrink quite a bit, but if they want to actually sell their products, then they will have to keep prices about where they are.

 

[Antimatter79]

If an Xbox 360 was actually the 800 or 900 bucks it would cost to manufacture in the U.S.A., then I wouldn't have an issue buying one if I was into game consoles. You gotta pay to play. But since it's not worth that (in my opinion), I'll stick to the PC. I guess it's a catch 22, willing people should be able to make a decent living, but we don't want always want to pay for them to make that living.

 

[A Bad Day]

Bah, humbug. Foxconn can easily replace the 300 dead workers.

 

[tului]

All I care about is the price of my products. As long as they stay low, I don't care how many 3rd worlders off themselves in making it.

 

[A Bad Day]

[citation][nom]rawful[/nom]Nope same tune. I put Microsoft and Apple in the exact same boat. Apple just has incredibly annoying fanboys that Microsoft doesn't really have. It is terrible that employees have to commit suicide, or even just threaten to, to try to make enough money to live. It is not worth it to give us cheaper toys. I guarantee you that if they were paid American wages, the prices of things would not skyrocket beyond belief. Why? Because nobody would buy them. The profits of the company might go much lower, the executive bonuses might shrink quite a bit, but if they want to actually sell their products, then they will have to keep prices about where they are.[/citation]

There are those who don't care except for the price and quality of the products. The labor, environment and ability to follow the law be dammed.

And I know quite a few people. Including family members.