Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Being paid a (comparatively) low wage isn’t necessarily exploitation. Their compensation is probably fair to above average for that part of the world. The fact that they haven’t been paid however...that’s a problem.

Each one is entirely believable tbh.
The pay isn’t average from Indian standards. We pay our servants and drivers more than this. The average starting out engineer makes a lot more than what we pay our servants, which in turn is higher than what Apple pays labour.
 

Somebody at Wistron probably didn't grease enough Indian hands.

If there's significant level of corruption even in something as basic as electricity, you can bet labor is controlled too.
Blackouts might be strategically planned. What happened with Wistron isn’t of anybody’s personal interest. They didn’t pay salaries, they got screwed over. As simple as that.
 
Sounds like apple needs to fire that factory. If the owners are shady to employees apple should withdraw contract
This tells me that anybody who can stage a vandalism act has the power to influence Apple’s actions. So who is really have the power nowadays? Social platforms?
 
Hate it when these basement living haters always bring up the low wages in 3rd world countries. Low wages compared to the West, but they don't live in the west. Those wages are in line with the country they live in, probably better than average. We should also bring up that if you live in the US, you're already in the top 5% of income earners in the world.
Oh...that’s why an iPhone 12 Max Pro costs only a $100 there....NOT!!
 
Many versions are floating around
  • Wistron did not pay wages to workers
  • Wistron paid the money to their contractors but contractors did not pay their workers
  • China sponsored this vandalism using some goons and actual workers were not involved in damage to property. China does not want India to take away their business.
  • Wistron is exaggerating damages to make insurance company cough up more money.
So which one is it?

How could they not include China. Every report involves them in some way, shape or form anyway.

Bending the truth just means someone knows something they don't want anyone else to know.
 
I wonder what the real price of the iPhone would be if someone, somewhere down the production or supply chain wasn't being exploited?
TBH, probably not much different. I saw some research back when Nike was in the spotlight for knowingly and willingly exploiting its workers, and the research highlighted that the difference between this exploitation and providing these workers with the fair wage and conditions for the countries they live in, was the cost of a pair of shoelaces for each pair of shoes sold.

The problem is our corporate system. The CEO's sole KPI is profits, and if the CEO can squeeze out tiny percentages of profits, then they earn obscene bonuses. Add on top of this that the type of personality that is driven enough to rise far enough to even become a CEO, is the type that is completely ruthless.
 
Regardless of the reason, this is one of the risks of manufacturing in India. Go ask the Japanese automobile companies (eg. Suzuki).

And not surprising if the issues are from the Taiwanese company itself. Some Taiwanese companies/executives are simply jerks.
One of the risks? That if you don't pay the workers what you promised them, then they might riot? Wow, what a risk! Yes, let's move all production to countries where you can say whatever bull you want to workers, then underpay them and treat them like crap. Yeah, those are the countries we love!
 
  • Like
Reactions: etios and xbankaiz
Why would it only cost $100? Do you live in India? The most expensive part of the iPhone is the work people in California do. Some of the highest paid jobs in the country.
Because the argument being made was that in that part of the world folks are paid less (and the “basement haters should quit complaining) because the cost of living is so much less and everything is cheaper when the reality is very different...and for interest, I do spend a lot of time in India
 
This type of exploiting agency is very common in many industries and disgusting to their core!
No no no. In this case, the job was only ever for $10/hr. The company has a choice of hiring an in-house HR team to employ people, or outsource that role to an employment agency. It costs them a fixed $2.50/hr to use the agency, and the agency has a large number of workers on tap that can be used to fill roles on short notice. But in house, it often costs more, and takes longer to fill roles.

I'm all against exploitation. And I think the minimum wage in may countries is horrendous. But this practice of using employment agencies is not exploitation per se, it's actually efficiency and the use of economies of scale.
 
Yes unfortunately its the same in many areas of Africa. Famine & poverty is rife but they still continue to have children knowing full well that those poor children will suffer and many will die.
It is well known that the common denominator dictating birth rates is women's education. If you provide women with education and a career path, then the number of children they have plummets. Poverty has zero impact.
 
This is why you don’t discuss your pay with your coworkers;)
Knowledge is power. Not discussing your pay with your co-workers gives all the power to the employers, who will continually happily exploit you. They will even forbid you to discus this with co-workers, exactly so they can continue to wield this power. This is actually, case in point, why you DO want to discuss pay with co-workers. You can bet any money that the pay rates for this factory will be corrected back to what they should have been. Apple will see to it, as they don't like to be seen in a bad light.
 
America went through labor disputes too until something was done about it. Maybe if more companies are held accountable for ripping off their workers they will settle on paying what they promised. But it looks like over there they resort to mob justice more often because the government is not backing them on such things. This is not a problem that will go away in a short time. But hopefully one that will. be addressed and corrected eventually.
This is why unions are so important. The bigger the mob, the more power in the negotiation. Look at what happens to the pay rates and conditions in countries where the unions have been dismantled or hobbled by industrial laws. And guess who got these laws through, yep, the employers. And guess what has happened with the wealth gap between the working classes and the ultra-rich, yep, it's gone through the roof. And how did the employers manage to convince the workers to vote for politicians that will pass these laws. By clever rhetoric convincing the workers that everything the workers want is the best way. The result... a stagnating economy, massive debt, falling real wages, casualisation of jobs, insecure jobs, falling tax rates for the rich, record company profits, record equity prices, record numbers of billionaires, and so on. To actually make America great again, you actually have to bring back the policies of the 60's which made America great in the first place, not double down on policies that screw the workers and enrich the rich.
 
Many versions are floating around
  • Wistron did not pay wages to workers
  • Wistron paid the money to their contractors but contractors did not pay their workers
  • China sponsored this vandalism using some goons and actual workers were not involved in damage to property. China does not want India to take away their business.
  • Wistron is exaggerating damages to make insurance company cough up more money.
So which one is it?
Why limit it to one? Reality is often more nuanced, I find.
 
One of the risks? That if you don't pay the workers what you promised them, then they might riot? Wow, what a risk! Yes, let's move all production to countries where you can say whatever bull you want to workers, then underpay them and treat them like crap. Yeah, those are the countries we love!
Not talking about payment. The risk I meant was the extreme reaction from the workers when there are issues. Google Suzuki Maruti riot.
Indians are more vocal compared to workers in countries like Vietnam and Indonesia in general.
 
"We pay our servants and drivers more than this."

Just a bit of advice, probably not a good idea to call people 'servants' in this day and age. I understand there is a lot of domestic staff in India and that's a good thing because it provides employment. But the word 'servant' has a 'slavish' quality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: macintoshmac
Because the argument being made was that in that part of the world folks are paid less (and the “basement haters should quit complaining) because the cost of living is so much less and everything is cheaper when the reality is very different...and for interest, I do spend a lot of time in India
Umm, the point is that the workers are getting paid a competitive wage for their country. Don't compare those wages to someone working in the US. The GDP of India is $3800. The GDP of the US is $51000.
 
Just a bit of advice, probably not a good idea to call people 'servants' in this day and age. I understand there is a lot of domestic staff in India and that's a good thing because it provides employment. But the word 'servant' has a 'slavish' quality.

It goes to show the mindset of an average Indian. The system of superior and inferior is something the country is struggling to shun and get over with, particularly with the current ruling dispensation poisoning the minds of gullible people.

Workers in India, such as at a gas station, or houseworkers doing the heavy-lifting in Indian homes, earning their honest livelihoods, are looked down upon as a lowly people whereas people who have money to throw, despite reeking of blood, are worshipped. It is sad.
 
Because the argument being made was that in that part of the world folks are paid less (and the “basement haters should quit complaining) because the cost of living is so much less and everything is cheaper when the reality is very different...and for interest, I do spend a lot of time in India
You aren't wrong in that not everything is dirt cheap, but you can live perfectly fine on a much lower wage in lower income countries if you are not trying to buy products from international companies like Apple or Nike. For example consumers in China and India have access to much less expensive phones, which for all intents and purposes are perfectly fine. Some of the cheaper models can go for as little as $100 with perfectly usable specs.
 
Just a bit of advice, probably not a good idea to call people 'servants' in this day and age. I understand there is a lot of domestic staff in India and that's a good thing because it provides employment. But the word 'servant' has a 'slavish' quality.
Yea, must be calling them as Outsourced Vendors, a perfect synonym.

The world's economic and trade activities have long become zero sum game favouring the oppressors. Exploitation is the key but suger coat that with fancy terminologies to legitimise and buy the media to showcase as champion of the social cause.

Besides there are too many in the payrolls of CCP in India including the foreigner headed GOP. They are only interested in stopping everything in favour of China with indiscriminate agitations. Apple will find democratic setup suiting their business needs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: etios
Umm, the point is that the workers are getting paid a competitive wage for their country. Don't compare those wages to someone working in the US. The GDP of India is $3800. The GDP of the US is $51000.
hmmm...there is a cause and effect issue, the reason the GDP is low is because salaries are low. ”Western” goods are not cheaper in low GDP countries; being paid a pittance is still being paid a pittance even it might be competitive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: profcutter
hmmm...there is a cause and effect issue, the reason the GDP is low is because salaries are low. ”Western” goods are not cheaper in low GDP countries; being paid a pittance is still being paid a pittance even it might be competitive.
For the same Goods the price remains same across the globe, for the same effort, the compensation varies.....thats how the Outsourced East Indian company gets established......
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.