Also, let's not forget they are offering it only because they are struggling to get people in and stay working. Not because they want to be good to the workforce.
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Apple Supplier Foxconn Offering Big Bonuses to Alleviate Worker Shortages
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They might make $40 bucks a week, so $55 a day bonus is manna from heaven! It's not likely to last too... At least I've heard that the pay is ridiculously low by anyone's standards.
The article doesn’t even mention the regular pay, so I don’t see how he could be doing that. Also, I’m sure the regular pay is not as much as it would be in the USA but you have to count cost-of-living that’s what wages are based on. If you go to California, you’re going to make more money per hour versus if you go to Texas. You’re not really making more money, it’s just more expensive to live there. $55 is a lot of money in China. I’ve visited the country and you can live really cheap there and still live good.
Do you think American companies offer bonuses because they wanna be good for the workforce? Seriously of course they’re offering it to get people.
In this case, they are Foxconn employees, so the workers are paid by a Taiwanese company. Apple's involvement is indirect, as Apple doesn't emoloy these workers directly. Apple simply made a contract with Foxconn, and it's up to Foxconn how tk spread that money.
You guys should see the coverage of the workers literally fleeing the factories. Foxconn is desperate in trying to lure people to stay. Basically this is due to extremely restrictive lockdowns that the government is enforcing. People just doesn't want to be unable to leave for weeks or even longer. And not sure locking down that many people in the compound is a good idea. Large aggregation mass of people is how these diseases spread easier to begin with.
while probably 98% of users buying a new iPhone don’t really need to replace the one they’ve got - they just WANT something new
While 400 yuan converts to $55, when you adjust for cost of living, it's really quite good. For perspective, 400 yuan is enough for a family of 4 to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, or buy groceries for a week. They're earning this in bonuses every day.
An average 3 bedroom apartment in Zhengzhou is 3650 yuan. That means these workers' bonus is roughly enough to live rent free every month. I'd certainly take it.
How much do Americans earn per hour? $15/hour. $55 per day is 3.5 hour bonus in the US.
Americans have $30 trillions of debts. Chinese have tens of trillions of cashes.
Do you still feel sad? You are the guy that Chinese feel sad for.
Working conditions should improve drastically. Also Apple should expand manufacturing outside China.
I'll support it as long as I keep getting my yearly upgrade
Full bonus for a month of 15,000 yuan would be roughly 3 months of pay ON TOP of the standard wage. That’s pretty darn good bonus no matter what country you live in.
Apple will do what gives them the best margin.
Good news is, labor cost in China is actually already considered expensive. Other industries have moved away from China long time ago (shoes, clothings, etc). It’s just with high tech manufacturing, China still holds a lot of the skilled labors and the economies of scale.
Now, if those who wanted Apple to move away from China actually stops buying made in China Apple products, maybe Apple would pay attention. But none of you would do that, wouldn’t you… 😏
True but bear in mind this isn’t their fault. With current unemployment under normal circumstances many would be happy to work there even without this bonus. They literally lost thousands of workers most walking home on foot across cities to escape the lockdown. The CCP is making it impossible to have a livelihood and operate a business at the moment (with mega corps barely getting concessions). Manufacturing in China has become a liability.
You’re… describing my wage, and my bonus, and my benefits. I don’t work for the inner joy of it (yes, I’m aware that some people enjoy “Working” so much that they do it regardless of what/if they’re being paid. I’m not one of those.) And my company pays to keep me from taking my skills elsewhere.
If we rely on companies to provide pay & benefits because “they want to be good to the workforce,” we’ll be in a lot of trouble as wage-earners.
Nope, I'm not part of the problem. If I don't buy Apple products, it will be other brand that is also manufacturing in China. Per your logic I should just stop using smartphones in order to stop being part of the problems in China, which is same as saying I should stop farting in order to stop contributing to the global warming. Probably I should just kill myself in order to not create or contribute to any problems in this world...China is governed by its Communist party only because a significant large part of the population supports that, so the working conditions and work remuneration is entirely their problem. Blaming the West for how Chinese economy works is like blaming your neighbor for your divorce.
You say that. But then one has to consider why it is that their wife might be spending so much time at their single neighbors house? Also there is no way for us to know if a significant large part of the population supports their government or not. Does a significant portion support our government here in the USA? Does a significant portion of the population even understand or know what any of their government is doing anywhere to even make that choice? In any case I say good for them any increase to wages for people struggling is good.
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Would've been nice if the article included what may have been the (average) pay for the Foxconn workers to give an indication of the reasonableness of the bonus.
It's not the first time that Foxconn had troubles with employee retention, as it most likely has a bad reputation in the area given its history (i.e. working conditions) and now the continuing CoV lockdowns. But there are lots of people who need job.
"Foxconn will give returning workers a sign-on bonus of 9,500 Chinese yuan ($1,498) on top of their monthly wages of 6,865 Chinese yuan ($1,082,) and first-time employees will receive 9,000 Chinese yuan ($1,419,) according to the South China Morning Post, citing a job posting."
Business Insider, Jan, 2022
The current wage amount may have changed by then.
It's not the first time that Foxconn had troubles with employee retention, as it most likely has a bad reputation in the area given its history (i.e. working conditions) and now the continuing CoV lockdowns. But there are lots of people who need job.
"Foxconn will give returning workers a sign-on bonus of 9,500 Chinese yuan ($1,498) on top of their monthly wages of 6,865 Chinese yuan ($1,082,) and first-time employees will receive 9,000 Chinese yuan ($1,419,) according to the South China Morning Post, citing a job posting."
Business Insider, Jan, 2022
The current wage amount may have changed by then.
At least it is almost more than what I make. And it is just the bonus.