Apple's Sweatshop Factory

[Geckotek]

It's either working in a factory or a rice paddy for these people. Plenty of factory jobs in China because of cheap labor, and many people in China to fill those positions. Chinese manufacturing = massively produced and affordable, but lower quality, product.

Spoken like someone who has never been to China. Probably never left the US!

Meanwhile, Microsoft's Chinese suppliers were caught violating labor laws and Gizmodo, et al. were completely silent on the issue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/technology/20soft.html?scp=7&sq=microsoft china&st=cse

Apple is clearly better clickbait these days.

Really? I recall reading about this. Don't recall ifit was on Gizmodo or not.

I see these labor practices as China's problem, not ours. Unfair labor practices have been rampant in all countries as they develop, including USA. The workers addressed the issue. No help from outside interests or countries requested or desired. China can do the same. In most of these developing countries, those people are just damn glad (and damn lucky) to have a job at all.

In the meantime, it has nothing to do with whether or not I buy Apple products. I don't care how Apple's suppliers treat their workers, I care how Apple treats me. And they're treating me just fine.

Again, someone living in a shell. You need to get out and travel to these places. Meet these people. Takes a cold heartless SOB to not give a crap about others like that. Did you have to work at it?

 

[megadon]

I'd pay more, but unfortunately Apple can't do that. If they do, other companies will under-sell them.

The only solution is for the U.S. government to make a law requiring a set minimum wage for all employees making products that enter the U.S.

But that'd probably make China angry which is why it'll never happen. So...politics as usual.

The situation frustrates me and I wish I COULD pay more for the things I buy. But I don't blame the companies themselves. If they actually did that they'd soon go out of business which doesn't help anyone. You've got to be frustrated with the people who have the power to change it, but don't.

In this case there's 2 sources of frustration: The Chinese government and the U.S. government. Since I don't have much to do with the Chinese government, I'll focus my attention on my own.

Exploitation of others to increase tax revenue is something the US government will not give up.

 

[Rhalliwell1]

People complain about the price of apple equipment.

People complain about the cheap process to make them.

Can't have it all!

 

[Hankster]

Agreed, however since Apple is one of their major customers, is it right for them to look the other way?

Life's not all flowers and sunshine. Would you rather pay $899 for your iPhone or $1999 for the base model MacBook?

 

[Hankster]

Spoken like someone who has never been to China. Probably never left the US!



Really? I recall reading about this. Don't recall ifit was on Gizmodo or not.



Again, someone living in a shell. You need to get out and travel to these places. Meet these people. Takes a cold heartless SOB to not give a crap about others like that. Did you have to work at it?

Does this mean you will stop purchasing ANY product not made in the USA? No more Apple products, shoes from ANY major shoe company, and close to all clothing companies?

Good luck.

 

[Geckotek]

Does this mean you will stop purchasing ANY product not made in the USA? No more Apple products, shoes from ANY major shoe company, and close to all clothing companies?

Good luck.

I'm sorry, I don't recall where I stated any of that. You must be referring to someone else.

 

[Hmac]

Again, someone living in a shell. You need to get out and travel to these places. Meet these people. Takes a cold heartless SOB to not give a crap about others like that. Did you have to work at it?

Over the last 15 years, far more time in the third world than you'll ever have (Haiti). I not only meet these people, I help to support them. In the meantime, you sit there in your comfortable home driving your comfortable car, plenty to eat, shooting your mouth off about something you know nothing about.

 

[Geckotek]

Over the last 15 years, far more time in the third world than you'll ever have (Haiti). I not only meet these people, I help to support them. In the meantime, you sit there in your comfortable home driving your comfortable car, plenty to eat, shooting your mouth off about something you know nothing about.

Yes, I do sit in my comfortable home, driving my comfortable car, with plenty to eat. And I have been to several third world countries across Asia, Africa, and Central America. More than you? Maybe not, but I've seen my share.

So I maybe shooting my mouth off, but it's definately not something I know nothing about. You're assuming things about me just as I assumed things about you.

The difference between me and you seems to be that I realize how blessed I am and I truly feel for others that are not as blessed. So while the first half of my statement toward you may be incorrect, I stand by the second half.

 

[greygray]

yeah.people are jumping out of windows and commiting suicide to make steve jobs looks bad.

It's still Foxconn that makes its workers slog to meet deadlines.

 

[-aggie-]

Over the last 15 years, far more time in the third world than you'll ever have (Haiti). I not only meet these people, I help to support them. In the meantime, you sit there in your comfortable home driving your comfortable car, plenty to eat, shooting your mouth off about something you know nothing about.

Come on. Geckotek lives in Dallas. Have you been there? The heat, my God man, the heat. And you don’t know humidity until you’ve been there. Driving? Sitting in your car and not moving is more like it in a Dallas rush hour. Geckoteck would probably relish the chance to live in Haiti.

 

[mojohanna]

You can't really single out Foxconn in this category. These labor conditions are widespread across almost all of the factories in China. Clothing companies are just as bad. These are unfortunate conditions for these people though. They sleep in bunk beds in the factory, shower with buckets of warm water, and eat the same thing everyday. It basically is prison with a salary.

Realistically if you are against these labor conditions you should probably sell everything you own including the clothes on your back because they were likely made in a factory just like this one.

Evidence? Proof? I have seen much lesser factories than Foxconn up close and personal. 1. Many of the dorm style factories are no longer being used. Many of the workers can now afford to stay in their own apartments. 2. For those that still do provide dorms, the workers get 3 meals a day, shelter, which, many times is gated and a job. Is it ideal, no. Is it what we in western society would consider acceptable, no.
I think it is a far cry from a "prison with a salary" as you call it. These people are free to come as go as they please during non working hours just the same as you and I are.
The original premise for the dorm style factories was due to the fact that many, if not most of the workers, we essentially migrant workers who came to the big factories of the east coast from the more interior provinces. They had no where to stay that was affordable or close to the factory. Many of the industrial areas of China a quite a hike from residential areas. At the time, no of them had personal transportation beyond a bike. Many of the workers now can afford things like motorized scooters which provides them with much more mobility. Not many of them can afford cars. Mostly reserved for those in upper management and maybe just the owners of the factories.

 

[mkaake]

How many people took the time to read what the author actually wrote, and not just what Giz wrote? And I quote -

This super factory that holds some 400,000 people isn't the "sweatshop" that most would imagine. It provides accommodation that reaches the scale of a medium-sized town, all smooth and orderly. Compared to others, the facilities here are well-equipped and superior, with employee treatment meeting standard specifications. Thousands of people flock here each day just to find a place of their own, to find a dream that they'll probably never realize.

 

[Mr. Chewbacca]

Was there from '90-'94 myself (UTA). So yeah, know what you're talking about.

Just missed you, I was 95 - 01 (I wasnt in a hurry )

 

[bniu]

have you ever been outside of the US? in a lot of countries people will kill for a job like that. since the alternative is working on a farm with worse food and in worse conditions. or not working at all and living like it's the middle ages

so apparently the industrial revolution has just now started for them. Funny as ours was almost 150 years ago...

 

[shigzeo]

Not fair comparison at all. By and large, the West has dropped manufacture and sent stuff to Asia. We are service nations where everyone worries about getting home before the bell, where people keep their nails buffed, and where sweat is looked down upon.

Asia, not just China is simply not like that. I don't really like either system very well, but come on - looking at these 'conditions' form our perspective is silly.

I'm in one of the richer nations in Asia and people still do 60+ of work per week for 900$ a month. Goods prices are almost the same and often much higher. People have no savings, work like dogs, get slaved by large corporations.

East Asia loves its big companies. Samsung are the largest in the world, the biggest copycat I've ever seen and an effing illegal team of political sharks. But no one in the West ever singles them out though they own a country, though everything outside Samsung is made into slum basically.

It is Asia, it isn't the West, so using the same parametres to judge it just won't work.

 

[chrono1081]

Agreed, however since Apple is one of their major customers, is it right for them to look the other way?

Ok uneducated one, here we go:

1st - Its Foxconns factory, not Apple. There is most likely not a SINGLE electronic device in your house that doesn't have something made by Foxconn. Dell, Sony, Cisco, Apple, Toshiba, etc etc all have components made by Foxconn. Apple was the ONLY company who visited the factory to ensure workers rights were being upheld.

2nd - Just because the factory is bad by our standards doesn't mean its bad by Chinas standards. There is much worse and Foxconn is only in the news due to employee suicides, yet there are hundreds of people lining up outside for jobs daily.

3rd - I think Foxconn could do a bit to brighten the atmosphere of the place but honestly the pics on gizmodo don't look at that bad.


Also, when you buy a shirt in the store, did you visit the sweatshops that make the shirt to ensure that all of the workers were being treated fairly? What about the shoes you have on....see where I am going with this?

 

[bigchief]

You think these people have it bad now, you should have seen how they lived before they had these places to work. The people in the far east are working their way out of poverty and they are more than happy to have these jobs. They are slowly building wealth and within the next 50 years their people will have as good or better standard of living than we do. You see they have just discovered, in the last few years, that capitalism is the best way to economic prosperity.

What I worry about is the people of this country. As a group they have become fat and lazy. We are living on the hard work and sacrifices of generations past. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[Geckotek]

You think these people have it bad now, you should have seen how they lived before they had these places to work. The people in the far east are working their way out of poverty and they are more than happy to have these jobs. They are slowly building wealth and within the next 50 years their people will have as good or better standard of living than we do. You see they have just discovered, in the last few years, that capitalism is the best way to economic prosperity.

What I worry about is the people of this country. As a group they have become fat and lazy. We are living on the hard work and sacrifices of generations past. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

You been to China lately? I have. How do you know what their living conditions were like?

Living in what is literally a prison (they live on a campus and pretty much work when they aren't sleeping) is NOT an improvement over their previous living conditions.

 

[WeegieMac]

While the working conditions are indeed appalling by our own standards, it's somewhat unfair to single out Apple simply because they're the company in the "now".

As others have said, numerous other multinational corporations have their goods made in China, all of which will have workers in near identical conditions.

 

[icyfire]

You been to China lately? I have. How do you know what their living conditions were like?

Living in what is literally a prison (they live on a campus and pretty much work when they aren't sleeping) is NOT an improvement over their previous living conditions.

Um, it's not a prison, it's a job. They are free to leave the job whenever they want. Why is it so hard for people to understand this concept? And how do you know it's not an improvement over their previous conditions. I'm sure that if their former lives were so much better, the factory floors would be deserted. If you really don't like the treatment of the workers, don't buy any of their products. It's as simple as that. No need for any government regulations. But you won't stop buying their products because you're a hypocrite.

 

[TSX]

Ya I'm not saying what factory I worked in but I did go to UTA (in Arlington) so I'm guessing that since youre in Dallas you know what I'm talking about.

Would that be GM?

 

[Geckotek]

Um, it's not a prison, it's a job. They are free to leave the job whenever they want. Why is it so hard for people to understand this concept? And how do you know it's not an improvement over their previous conditions. I'm sure that if their former lives were so much better, the factory floors would be deserted. If you really don't like the treatment of the workers, don't buy any of their products. It's as simple as that. No need for any government regulations. But you won't stop buying their products because you're a hypocrite.

I'm not arguing the concept of a job and the fact that they can leave. I don't know what their reasons for not leaving are, but it doesn't necessarily mean their previous living conditions were bad. It more likely points to a situation where there were no jobs.

And if you feel no government regualations are necessary, tell that to the facatory workers of the Industrial Revolution in the US. This is history repeating itself. China will eventually pass laws to protect these workers, but pressures from Apple, their other customers, and the US Gov't will help hasten the process.

 

[wrkactjob]

Oh I don't want to read that report!....its like looking inside an abattoir!...I don't want to know where my iphone/steak comes from I just want nice and neat and cheap and if people want to throw themselves from windows, well there are plenty more in the queue willing to take their place.

So there.

But I also like a company that makes a token gesture to reassure us concerned consumers that they care and this will make me feel better and alleviate my concerns no matter how trivial their token gesture, I will use it to wipe the guilt from my conscience. I mean these people are being given a chance and its better than working in the fields right?...I mean it is isn't it?...please tell me so or I swear I will throw myself from my ground floor window onto the lawn below.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

I'm not sure what its was like in Ireland. I sure would LOVE to take a vacation there and find out!! Amazing place!

I know their are other factors but I worked at the plant in emergency response as a contractor for 6 years so I dealt with management and hourly equally. A lot of managers were so frustrated that they also stopped giving a @#$ and the company did what they could to make as much profit as possible. The line workers were making 22.00 per hour (15 years ago) and benefits that rival the military. It most likely costs the company 70M per year for each person on the line and they were the "cheap" ones. Any other job paid "premium". I'm sure the wages have gone way up in the last 15 years.

I drive an American car and I do prefer to buy American when I can. Its not a patriotic thing I just worry that were losing to many jobs. That being said I don’t think I would trust a computer built in a (US) union shop, at least not until their products had been on the market for a year or two.

On the other hand if they are seriously paying people 130 a month then that is INSANE. I don’t care how bad it is anywhere else in the same country.

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am, kinda makes my problems look even more trivial.

I am on vacation in Ireland now. If what the poster said about wages being lower in Ireland is true, then I don't know how people live here. Ireland seems more expensive than England to me.

Despite my user name, I am actually American and it seems to me that to live the same comfort level as you could for 30K in the USA you need to make 100K a year here. Even then you would still be scrounging to get by here.

It is however, indeed a nice country and the people are very friendly and occasionally sober.

 

[bigchief]

You been to China lately? I have. How do you know what their living conditions were like?

You don't have to go there to find out. Read a history book. The library is full of them. Watch the History Channel. Surely you have a TV. This kind of information has been in all of the major news publications.

I hate to be the one to inform you that people who live in public housing and live off welfare and food stamps in our country have a better standard of living than most people living in the third world countries. All of those people living in third world countries would jump at the chance to work in one of those factories you are so upset about.

Ever wonder why our country is being invaded by millions of illegal aliens? Now you know.