Foxconn hit by worker protests Manufacturing giant Foxconn faced more worker protests this week with about 7,000 staff taking to the streets to protest against poor pay and plans to relocate some work to inland provinces. The million-strong company raised wages in the wake of worldwide criticism of Foxconn employment practices and an apparent spate of …
Some parts of the factory saw higher wage increases than others. Some sectors (Like Apple's areas) had higher pay to start with. The disparity of one area of the pant to another, or one type of manufacturing vs another, is likely huge, with some employees making 2 or 3 times the same amount as others. Guess what, walk into a GM plant and you'll find the same. They have near-minimum wage people there too (not on the line, but still). People, once they know what someone else makes vs their own pay, often demand the same wage. in a plant of half a million, I'm sure there are pleanty of voices than get noticed.
Its a PR nightmare. The wage sounds small to you and me, ~$225 a month American for some of them (though most are higher), but consider the a) cost of living b) they get a room to live in as part of their wage, c) this is starting pay, and goes up quickly, d) they get overtime pay, e) they have a 60 hour cap on hours per week (even we don't have that!), and they live essentially inside the worlds largest shopping center and amusement park.
Look at photos. These "slave laborers" are wearing name brand clothes, listening to iPods, playing video games on giant screens in game galleries, enjoying conversation in posh lounges, swimming in pools, working out in top quality gyms, etc. I can't afford to have access to half what they do, and I make their monthly salary by LUNCH. Most of them work there on 2-4 year contracts and then go to college, fully paid for in advance by their tiny salary and additional employee benefits. Their lifestyle might be strange to us, having 3 or 4 generations living under one roof, but they do that by choice and culture. Things cost very little there, and a few workers can afford a good home for an entire family. their minimum wage is a LIVABLE wage, where ours is certainly not. FoxConn currently pays double minimum wage as a minimum.
I've read many reports on working conditions in Chinese factories - never seen such lavish lifestyles that you have mentioned. I have however seen plenty of pictures of revolting shared dorms and toilets, dangerous factories full of junk, raw materials and finished goods blocking fire exits, people sleeping under their workstation during lunch breaks and visibly ill and injured workers with vacant worn out expressions slogging over making whatever product it is the factory makes like slaves.
As for overtime, its not uncommon for it to be forced, and the accommodation and meals provided are often so bad that some workers in these factories opt to eat out or rent a flat or room to avoid them even if they don;t have an option of getting more pay for not making use of the firms own facilities.
Anyway, whatever who cares - as long as nice shiny smart phones come out the other end who cares eh!
"they have a 60 hour cap on hours per week (even we don't have that!)"
Presumably you don't work in Europe then? As working hours are capped to 48 hours a week here, with 35-40 being considered normal.
Admittedly, it would be nice to see a comparison of how much the wage is comparatively, in real terms. But I have a feeling it's not going to be a minimum wage equivalent. Also, wearing brand name clothes doesn't really mean anything, they may be expensive here, but they are generally manufactured for next to nothing in... you guessed it... China.
You sir, need to pull your head out of your arse, and look again. The conditions these workers live in are incomparable to anything in the west, as there is nothing that bad, not even prisons!
Allowing workers of foreign companies strike for more of anything doesn't cost the state any financial penalties and allows pent up feelings be dissipated.
The whole Foxconn food chain is self-sustaining and any added costs are just passed up the line. Besides what other country is going to permit it's workers deteriorating health continue to support productivity?
VietNam certainly won't as the $5 monthly health insurance premium is barely sufficient to cover health costs now. Our workers suffered years back when Korean shoe manufacturers failed to adequately ventilate glue application areas.
There should laws requiring workers where manufacturing occurs have no lesser working conditions than apply in the country of destination.
The Apples of this world couldn't survive without the nimble fingers and the low production costs of the Far East.
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