are they still being "volunteered" to work at a factory with no option to choose their own future...
as far as I know once they are "chosen" from their college or where ever to work at a Foxconn factory in a certain region (away from family and friends) they cannot say no.
@greghome a bit of sensitivity wouldn't be out of place on a news story like this.
It's about time this got reported on in the mainstream press (more so), the only way things will change is if the public demands computers are built responsible (like fair trade food items) then the likes of Dell, HP and Apple might actually stop using this company.
I'm ashamed to admit I do have a Foxconn motherboard in my computer and it will be the last. Never again will I buy ANYTHING that has come from this Foxconn and that includes ipads, iphones and anything Apple or parts for my PC.
[citation][nom]JeanLuc[/nom]Never again will I buy ANYTHING that has come from this Foxconn and that includes ipads, iphones and anything Apple or parts for my PC.[/citation]
So you're going to give up all tech and go live in a cave?
[citation][nom]TemjinGold[/nom]So you're going to give up all tech and go live in a cave?[/citation]
It's not as if every piece of computer hardware is made by Foxconn. I build my own PC's anyway so it makes it easier for to find out where the products have come from. As for any other items its just a case of finding out if they work with Foxconn or not and you get that from reading reviews of the items you buy which you should do anyway before buying expensive goods.
Statistically this makes Foxcon one of the safest places to work. The suicide rate in the US is around 20 people per 100,000 per year, Foxcon has 250,000 employees, do the math folks before jumping to conclusions.
[citation][nom]Tomtompiper[/nom]Statistically this makes Foxcon one of the safest places to work. The suicide rate in the US is around 20 people per 100,000 per year, Foxcon has 250,000 employees, do the math folks before jumping to conclusions.[/citation]
Yes but people don't normally make a point of committing suicide at there place of work.
[citation][nom]JeanLuc[/nom]Yes but people don't normally make a point of committing suicide at there place of work.[/citation]
They live on site, in accommodation provided, do you want them to travel outside the complex to kill themselves? These are desperate people who have decided to end it all, they will do whatever works, and jumping off a high roof is probably the easiest option.
[citation][nom]zulfadhli[/nom]I dont think it is Foxconn fault.I do live in China and I think Foxconn has got an ok reputation..[/citation]
I support the workers with the fact their conditions cannot be considered worth living. We're aware there are worse jobs in China but not even that puts Foxconn in a higher standard.
[citation][nom]JeanLuc[/nom]@greghome a bit of sensitivity wouldn't be out of place on a news story like this.It's about time this got reported on in the mainstream press (more so), the only way things will change is if the public demands computers are built responsible (like fair trade food items) then the likes of Dell, HP and Apple might actually stop using this company. I'm ashamed to admit I do have a Foxconn motherboard in my computer and it will be the last. Never again will I buy ANYTHING that has come from this Foxconn and that includes ipads, iphones and anything Apple or parts for my PC.[/citation]
We should have a list of "popular brands with good reputation" which have their products manufactured by Foxconn and companies alike so we could try to get it into the TV news and make the silenced voices of these workers be heard... at last.
For those that wish to defend Foxconn you must either not know about or are ignoring the fact that there have been plenty of reports of the workers being mistreated severely. Reports of intimidation, physical abuse from "security" (more like corporate thugs) and yes even reports of sexual assault on female employees.
These people also live there as well as work. Some of them don't even have a choice and are literally forced to work there like Pailin said in the above comment. It sounds more like a prison/slave camp more than a
workplace when you actually look at the conditions they go through rather than just the suicides.
You are judging them by western standards, and you are probably wearing underwear made in sweatshops by children, trainers made in sweatshops by wage slaves and the truth is the Foxcon workers are in much better conditions than many of the people who manufacture the products you use and wear. Boycotting Foxcon goods will not improve standards at their factories, it will just make their employees ex employees in poorer jobs and some other company will take up the slack. If you want workers paid a fair wage and in excellent conditions ask Apple to make the phones in the US and be willing to pay four times as much for the privilege of owning one.
what these articles always fail to mention is the average suicide rate in China is 10 in 100,000, and they have had 14 in 300,000, far below the national average....
[citation][nom]lmn8r[/nom]Very sad but jesus, give me a job at foxconn. $8/week sure beats $0/week what I make now.[/citation]
If you can learn Chinese really quick. I am sure you can make pretty good living in China for being bilingual.
It is a interesting that we care about this as people living outside of China, but they, the Chinese, are really not concerned about this inside China. I am not saying it is right, but their culture is not the same as our culture. They are wondering what the big deal is? The only reason they care at all is they do not want to lose the contract to make devices for us. I am not sure how us as consumers demanding their culture to change is any different than our Governments demanding their culture to change. I would bet most of us would be opposed to our governments intervening in Chinese culture.