Apple 'Independently Evaluating' Foxconn's Response to Suicides at Manufacturing Plant

[MacRumors]

Bloomberg reports that Apple has made its first public statement since a series of suicides at manufacturing partner Foxconn's sprawling manufacturing facility in China began gaining public notice, expressing sadness at the events and promising that it is "independently evaluating" Foxconn's response while also continuing its facility inspections summarized in its annual supplier responsibility progress report.

"We're in direct contact with Foxconn senior management and we believe they are taking this matter very seriously," said Steve Dowling, an Apple spokesman. "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."

Apple is "saddened and upset by the recent suicides at Foxconn," he said.

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai, has been a key manufacturing partner for Apple for many years and notably produces the company's iPhone and iPad models for worldwide distribution.

According to today's report, there have been nine suicides and two attempted suicides at Foxconn's Chinese facility so far this year. The events come after Foxconn received considerable publicity last year when an employee who reportedly lost a next-generation prototype iPhone also committed suicide.

Foxconn's manufacturing complex in Longhua, China reportedly employs approximately 400,000 people, leading some observers to suggest that the number of suicides experienced at the facility this year is not out of the ordinary considering suicide rates in the general population in that country. Still, general concern over quality of life issues for employees who live and work at Foxconn's facility, as well as for other companies in other locations in China, has led to an outcry over whether companies are treating their employees in an ethical manner.

For its part, Foxconn denies that its facilities should be classified as sweatshops and notes that it has hired dozens of counselors and established other resources to assist its employees. The company has also moved to open its factory to the media in an attempt to provide a glimpse into working conditions on its assembly lines.

Article Link: Apple 'Independently Evaluating' Foxconn's Response to Suicides at Manufacturing Plant

 

[mikejfrd]

Geeez they must take losing an iPhone pretty serious over there!!

 

[leomac08]

I'm speechless

 

[tlng13]

the news is really hot over here in Hong Kong, now there were 11ppl dead...

i really hope all this oversea companies could push China for better human rights

that's what US wanted to do in the first place, i hope it's not just an excuse...

not going into too political, i think HK is losing freedom since returned to China...

 

[Gavbo]

Something is defo fishy about this company .... personal greed comes with a heavy price.

 

[SoGood]

Pretty meaningless when the suicide rate for Foxconn's massive employee base is only a fraction of that in the general population. The whole area is no different in terms of size and population to a small city and effectively functions as one.

 

[tlng13]

there was a rumor, a prototype of iPhone was lost during sending to Apple.

Apple complained, and how Foxconn investigate was to use their security to do the police job, to beat up(yes, that's how china police do) the guy who's in charge of the task, and then this guy found dead and the news said he jumped down from the building.... and he was the first guy to "sucidie"

but was this guy beaten up to dead? or jumped down from the building himself? only god know

 

[Pickleman77]

The key point here is that over 400,000 people work for Foxconn. Around 1 in 40,000 people committing/attempting suicide may have little to do with the company itself. Look up suicide rates in any given country in a year and this number won't seem like it's abnormal at all.

 

[retroneo]

According to Foxconn, they are owned by their largest customers... i.e. Apple

http://www.fih-foxconn.com/about/honhai.aspx

This is interesting: an investigative journalist worked there for 28 days:

http://nf.nfdaily.cn/epaper/nfzm/content/20100513/PageA01CJ.htm

Use Chrome or Google Translate to read as it's in Chinese.

 

[DeepIn2U]

This is getting REALLY bad press for Apple.

options?
buy out foxconn.
offer bonus severace packages and hold doury to all production lines and parts sourcing and move to a competitor? Implement staff to oversee rights abuse & other issues directly!

 

[iphones4evry1]

With a ten percent unemployment rate here in Apple's home country, I can't believe they continue to support this foreign sweat shop tragedy. Sick. It's just SICK !!! I think Steve Jobs has taken his power trip too far this time.

BRING THE JOBS HOME TO AMERICA, WHERE WE HAVE LABOR RULES TO PROTECT WORKERS !!!!

 

[tlng13]

According to Foxconn, they are owned by their largest customers... i.e. Apple

http://www.fih-foxconn.com/about/honhai.aspx

This is interesting: an investigative journalist worked there for 28 days:

http://nf.nfdaily.cn/epaper/nfzm/content/20100513/PageA01CJ.htm

Use Chrome or Google Translate to read as it's in Chinese.

thx Retroneo, that's more facts than just number, i hope non-chinese Apple users could understand...

 

[paul4339]

400,000 workers! that's like a size of a city... nine suicides in any city (not just a city in China) doesn't sound too unusual.

(then again, hiring a dozens of counselors for 400000 people doesn't sound like much either)

 

[darkplanets]

You know, sometimes I really love google translate and how off it is.

Quarters in a new "Cock hair" came, without any ceremony. Wait until after work one day and found 10 people in a dormitory space, a shop, before we know a "Cock Mao" left. "A month is a familiar stranger."

 

[awmazz]

Pretty meaningless when the suicide rate for Foxconn's massive employee base is only a fraction of that in the general population. The whole area is no different in terms of size and population to a small city and effectively functions as one.

Yeah, but they're suiciding at work, so it's safe to assume it's work related.

 

[slipper]

What a joke. Foxxconn isnt taking anything seriously except for iPhone production. Employees are expendable assets to the 10th power there compared to any other western country.

 

[puuukeey]

why should I trust internal investigation?

 

[tlng13]

from Hong Kong english newspaper

the Standard

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_...5&sid=28371311&con_type=3&d_str=20100526&fc=4

 

[Doctor Q]

This problem is not unique to Apple. When a company contracts with an overseas factory it doesn't have direct oversight of how the factory balances goals for efficiency and productivity with concerns for the well-being of employees. But a major company like Apple certainly has influence and can put on pressure.

Any suicide is tragic but is this an unusually high number? We don't know and presumably Apple doesn't know either. Apple says they are evaluating Foxconn's handling of the situation, not investigating the suicides themselves. Is a local authority going to investigate?

 

[GamecockMac]

With a ten percent unemployment rate here in Apple's home country, I can't believe they continue to support this foreign sweat shop tragedy. Sick. It's just SICK !!! I think Steve Jobs has taken his power trip too far this time.

BRING THE JOBS HOME TO AMERICA, WHERE WE HAVE LABOR RULES TO PROTECT WORKERS !!!!

And when iPad pricing starts at $1000 and goes up from there, I suppose you won't be posting in these forums whining about how expensive Apple products are?

 

[Thex1138]

That's not a sweat shop...

A sweat shop is a 5 year old boy or girl, filing down the off-cuts from stainless steel surgical equipment made in Sri Lanka... and retiring from the job at age 13/14 because they are too old and factories are having to actually pay these children money for their work. Parents willing push their children into these factories as well... yeah it's the real third world.. no iPads there...

/I am not kidding!

 

[Geckotek]

Yeah, but they're suiciding at work, so it's safe to assume it's work related.

When work & home are the same place, you can't make that assumption.

A sweat shop is a 5 year old boy or girl, filing down the off-cuts from stainless steel surgical equipment made in Sri Lanka... and retiring from the job at age 13/14 because they are too old and factories are having to actually pay these children money for their work. Parents willing push their children into these factories as well... yeah it's the real third world.. no iPads there...

/I am not kidding!

You're right, in the truest sense it is not. However, I'd like to see these guys get fair pay for the overtime they put in. That contract they sign requiring additional OT w/ no pay is BS. It's against the law in China, but somehow this contract circumvents the law. The Chinese gov't needs to protect their peple by ammending that law to fix the loophole.

It'd be nice if Apple made some sort of demand re: this as well. This is fair whether the suicides are above or below normal. Doesn't matter.

 

[tlng13]

from the news, Foxconn also supplies parts to Nokia, LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, etc...

And Apple is targeted since the iPhone is getting bigger and bigger

 

[tlng13]

and it's shameful i'd say Chinese gov won't do anything to protect their citizens, instead they do the best to cover up all this 'accidents'...

 

[soundmanJP]

Anyone losing their life due to suicide is no doubt sad and you would hope avoidable with systems in place to protect people..

However statistically the rate of Suicide in this case is well BELOW that of the rest of the population.

It may happen at the plant, but if you look at the details they have people living on the premises, I suppose for security but also I imagine many of these workers are coming from other provinces.

Why apple particularly, when Foxconn makes practically every device where something is attached to a PCB.

Among other things, Foxconn produces the Mac mini, the iPod, the iPad, and the iPhone for Apple Inc.; Intel-branded motherboards for Intel Corp.; various orders for American computer manufacturers Dell and Hewlett-Packard; motherboards for UK computer manufacturer Zoostorm; the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 for Sony; the Wii for Nintendo; the Xbox 360 for Microsoft, cell phones for Motorola, the Amazon Kindle, and Cisco equipment.

Not suggesting that apple shouldn't do their best to look after these people, or monitor the company that is employing them and that any person in any country should be afforded the same rights and freedoms we all expect, however this report without the background information is designed entirely to get emotional responses.

Please understand, Im not defending apple, just against bad unbalanced reporting.