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Foxconn Again Raises Wages for Entry-Level Workers

lilsoccakid74 said:
I am glad that these poor workers will see a raise, but if Apple or anyone else thinks this solves the issue as a whole, get real.

Anyone who feels different, your point is invalid unless you personally have worked in those conditions.
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For how long have you lived and worked outside the USA? Those living in poverty in the USA would be seen as wealthy in other countries. The difference in the USA is that those in poverty refuse to work because they know our taxpayers will pay them not to work. Our system has far greater issues than China's.
 
starbird said:
...these advanced robotics. I think in 10-15 years, there will be more "Made in the USA" products than there are today. It would make sense for companies like Apple making products stateside as well as in other countries.
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Robots will not replace workers in China. If you use robots, you need to hire high skilled robot engineers and maintenance people to keep them running. That's more expensive than not having robots at all.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
this is an example of the standard putting your head in the sand response I see from many people here.
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Wrong. They said that opinions were invalid if we haven't worked in those conditions. So I asked a very reasonable question, if he/she had worked there. If not, then they don't have any more concrete information than I do to base their viewpoints off.

My head is far from "in the sand." I understand that the conditions at Foxconn aren't the same as they are here in the US. But I also understand that, without being there, all I'm getting is secondhand information. From what I do know, secondhand, the conditions there are a lot better than in other factories in China. And I also don't believe that, whatever the conditions are there, it should not solely be Apple's responsibility to fix it. Foxconn is a supplier to Apple, and to many other companies. Apple has been working to make things better. Have any of the other companies that use Foxconn's labor force?
 
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sweetbrat said:
Rodimus Prime said:
this is an example of the standard putting your head in the sand response I see from many people here.
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Wrong. They said that opinions were invalid if we haven't worked in those conditions. So I asked a very reasonable question, if he/she had worked there. If not, then they don't have any more concrete information than I do to base their viewpoints off.

My head is far from "in the sand." I understand that the conditions at Foxconn aren't the same as they are here in the US. But I also understand that, without being there, all I'm getting is secondhand information. From what I do know, secondhand, the conditions there are a lot better than in other factories in China. And I also don't believe that, whatever the conditions are there, it should not solely be Apple's responsibility to fix it. Foxconn is a supplier to Apple, and to many other companies. Apple has been working to make things better. Have any of the other companies that use Foxconn's labor force?
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Exactly. I think YOUR the one with the head in the sand. If apple and all the tech companies moved their business out of China. How do you think tje standard of living for those foxconn workers would be then? The world isnt perfect. It could be worse.
 
CylonGlitch said:
Even at those rates, it is $6.88/hour (approx) in Yuan. I don't believe they work that many hours a day, when I worked for Chinese companies in Shanghai (production companies) they were working 8 to 10 hours a day; but did work 6 days a week. Also, there were mandated hour long rest times during the day so the 8 to 10 hours were more like 7 to 9 hours of work time with an hour rest after lunch.

General rule of thumb is based cost of living and everything else; just convert the Yuan value to US dollars and that is the approximate value of the money. Thus if they are now making $2,200 yuan per month it would be like us making $2,200 US per month (about $26,400 per year). Not a ton, but for those who work these jobs, they are uneducated (most likely never finished middle school) and unskilled.

Additionally, think of this, they live in the company dorms, they eat at the cafeteria and they have company health care. They pay nothing or almost nothing for these services. Thus the $26,400 per year is what they make TAKE HOME (round that down to $25,000 per year that they can SAVE).

Yes, this pay is actually quite decent. Imagine if you could save $25,000 per year, how much would you have to earn to save that? $50,000/year?

Sure that's $25,000 yuan per year savings; and only approximately $3000 USD, but it is the relative cost. To them, this is a good amount of money.

Again, think of the rule of thumb, if cost of living is the same proportion as in the US to the salary, then change the Yuan to Dollars and think of it that way. BUT the cost of living there is a much LESS percentage of their daily live.

Example. The woman I dated who lived in Beijing. Her father made $5000 yuan per month. They lived in a very nice apartment building with two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, laundry room and a balcony. (I liked it when I was there). They were paying $5 yuan per month rent! Granted this was 20 years ago; and rents have gone up (from my friends who still live there) but they are still not nearly as expensive as they are here.
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Thanks for the breakdown.;) I in no way pretend to know what is going on over there as I have never lived there. For the most part I was just thinking out loud.
 
alex00100 said:
year, in 20 years, china (and others) will be comparable to america or europe. and brazil, india and others will be doing all the cheap job.
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There will be no more cheap jobs. Brazil minimum wage is around $350 perceived by the worker but the company has to spend a total of aprox. $700 in labor benefits. This value increases 5-10% yearly usually pairing or surpassing inflation.

I think this is the second and more effective stage of globalization. Companies become effectively global and not so tied to their foundational countries. An Apple example is that they doesn't care too much about taking their $80B of reserves spread around the world back to America. They simply have too much money and don't care where it is.
 
Mad-B-One said:
Err... so? How many people making a Mercedes Benz can afford one?
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Rest assured that atleast 80% of the cars you'll find on the parking lots around the german Daimler factories are in fact Mercedes (probraly over 90% is you also count Smarts).

Might be different in foreign factories and surely will be differnet in places producing parts FOR Daimler :rolleyes:
 
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Funny the picture of Foxconn shows a bunch of Chinese and Indian people!! I guess the graphic artist was looking for some foreign appearing people..
 
Bug-Creator said:
Rest assured that atleast 80% of the cars you'll find on the parking lots around the german Daimler factories are in fact Mercedes (probraly over 90% is you also count Smarts).

Might be different in foreign factories and surely will be differnet in places producing parts FOR Daimler :rolleyes:
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Generally companies tend to make easier to employees buying their products. It's an intelligent approach as it motivates the worker to make better products as he can have it and doesn't want to buy a defective unit.
 
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Hey Apple, how about using your mega billions and do the patriotic thing by retooling America's manufacturing and bring back jobs to the USA. And I don't want to hear the same ol story...oh that's impossible...oh that's too expensive. BS.

Apple is raking in more profits than God at the expense of American jobs.
 
SolRayz said:
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Hey Apple, how about using your mega billions and do the patriotic thing by retooling America's manufacturing and bring back jobs to the USA. And I don't want to hear the same ol story...oh that's impossible...oh that's too expensive. BS.

Apple is raking in more profits than God at the expense of American jobs.
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Apple isn't an american company... anymore. If you're a shareholder, good to you. If you're not, forget any sign of patriotism from Apple or any other big company. This is true globalization.
 
Here's a good read...
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/opinion/nova-apple-foxconn/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

An interesting quote from the article...
And if Apple genuinely "cared about every worker," it would pay every worker a living wage -- enough for workers to achieve a minimally decent standard of living, support their families and even save a bit toward a better future. Today, barely 1% of the retail price of an Ipad goes to the workers who make it; 33% goes to Apple's profits. Apple's profits are so high, and its global labor costs so low, that it could triple the wages of its 700,000 manufacturing workers and help them achieve a living wage (just a few dollars an hour in China), and still make $40 billion a year. A wage increase of 16% to 25% at Foxconn, announced today as Apple's public relations blitz reaches a crescendo, doesn't come close.
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nick_elt said:
Anyway why is Apple getting all the ****. Foxxcon makes products for ALL the major tech companies but every1 is focusing on apple and they are the only company sending in inspectors. Id rather work there than in a Nike factory.
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Because of this:

rjohnstone said:
Here's a good read...
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/opinion/nova-apple-foxconn/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

An interesting quote from the article...
And if Apple genuinely "cared about every worker," it would pay every worker a living wage -- enough for workers to achieve a minimally decent standard of living, support their families and even save a bit toward a better future. Today, barely 1% of the retail price of an Ipad goes to the workers who make it; 33% goes to Apple's profits. Apple's profits are so high, and its global labor costs so low, that it could triple the wages of its 700,000 manufacturing workers and help them achieve a living wage (just a few dollars an hour in China), and still make $40 billion a year. A wage increase of 16% to 25% at Foxconn, announced today as Apple's public relations blitz reaches a crescendo, doesn't come close.
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But they're all about making money... i'm not so sure capitalism is the best way anymore, the rich get richer, the numbers are staggering, and the middle class in the US now has to have both parents working, sometimes double shifts to make ends meet... heh, but hey apple and other corps are having record profits.
 
brdeveloper said:
That's why rebellions, wars and protests exist.
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So when you go on the internet to buy a product, you always look for the highest priced vendor, and buy that one, right? Of course you do! You're doing your part to prevent rebellions and wars!
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
So when you go on the internet to buy a product, you always look for the highest priced vendor, and buy that one, right? Of course you do! You're doing your part to prevent rebellions and wars!
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No... I just said that if there's a big disequilibrium of forces something happens in opposition to the oppressor.

But about your statement: I try not buying every electronic crap as it receives an upgrade. This is not really possible as I'm also a consumerist. In addition, foreign electronics cost around 100% over the retail price applied in US because of the taxes, so I can't buy everything I want as I could if I lived there. But I know it's tempting to buy every tech crap at affordable prices.
 
CylonGlitch said:
Example. The woman I dated who lived in Beijing. Her father made $5000 yuan per month. They lived in a very nice apartment building with two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, laundry room and a balcony. (I liked it when I was there). They were paying $5 yuan per month rent! Granted this was 20 years ago; and rents have gone up (from my friends who still live there) but they are still not nearly as expensive as they are here.
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I lived in Beijing recently, no one pays 5 yuan per month... 5 yuan will get you a nice Big Mac, a pack of cigarettes or a two bowls of rice.
 
Chinese inflation is going up, and the cost of living surges. Wages will have to keep up. The low wage paradis China is stepping up to international living cost.

Which could mean some jobs coming back. (No, I don't think Africa will be the next low-wage paradise for manufacturers, and Indonesia neither).

Wouldn't it be great if the iPhone was produced in the US, creating over 100 000 jobs?
 
Tim: Let's raise the wages while investigators ask the employees about working conditions.

Foxconn: Problem solved! Now back to work making those greedy American bound ipad 3's (with Retina display).
 
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