1,000 Foxconn iPad workers trash dorms in riot against guards A riot broke out at a Foxconn workers' dormitory in Chengdu after hundreds of workers got involved in a clash with security guards, according to reports from Chinese human rights website Molihua [English version in the Want China Times here]. The incident at the dorm started at about 9pm on Monday and escalated into a full- …
Clearly this is a Foxcomm issue, I mean just look at the variance of the story. One side says that guards were trying apprehend a single thief which then spiralled out of control. The other says it started as a dispute with a resteraunt owner and continued to escalate before it even got back to the dorms.
Not to mention at every moment foxcomm goes to lengths to point out how it had nothing to do with them since it was a third party owned dorm, and third party hired staff and involved a resteraunt which had nothing to do with them.
Every bit of 'information' they've given has sounded more like an excuse to pass the buck. Yeah its run by a third party, but who hired them? Ergo the staff were also indirectly hired by foxcom.
Ah well, its only a matter of time before somebody blows the factory up.
*grabs his dynamite*
I'm sure Tim Cook will go to China, work and live along side these "workers" for five years at the same wages they receive, without any other compensation - so that he can be certain they are treated fairly and respectfully as he has been with his $178 Million annual compensation.
"at the same wages they receive"
Its all relative....
from what I read about the interwebs, what they pay foxconn workers is inline or is slightly above the average wage that semi skilled/skilled production line workers take home in mainland china.
By western standards its a pittance, but in china they dont pay 12 yen for a loaf of bread... and before I get flammed, I know its still not the best wages they are paid, but its wrong to compare it to our wages, compare wages against cost of living...
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The Chinese employees do actually get paid and they do get a roof. For slave labour, you need to look to some of the lovely, warm organisations who run Blighty's very own workfare programmes (i.e. no pay and no roof for some of the "work experience" people who worked security at the royal pageant).
"It's called working for your benefits, that is the money *taken* from taxpayers. I don't see why anyone should get money for just existing - and for breeding, for that matter - which is what, in effect, these people get."
Alternatively, it's called displacing real, actual paying jobs with free labour (aka slavery). Make no mistake, this can and will be abused. I cannot speak for the rest, but if I find myself out of work for a time, I'll be happy I'm up to date with my "National INSURANCE" contributions (even if the government did spend them on a new missile).
Actually, the presence of guards* makes sense, even in a non-sinister reading of the reports.
Any time you have large numbers of people in close contact, especially what appears to be a large number of unmarried males, you're going to have some problems - Everything from stupid drunks to gambling to personality clashes, and beyond. A certain amount of authority present to keep the worst of things from getting out of control seems proper.
Clearly, there weren't enough guards present to prevent a riot. There may have only been enough present to *start* a riot.
* No idea how MANY guards there are, to be sure - that's not mentioned anywhere. Could be a handful, could be a batalion. No way of knowing, from the reports.
The Workers have confirmed that the rioters were independant third-party rioters contracted to provide Professional Rioting Services by the contracted-out Rioter Hiring Services riot-management services contractor. The Workers are in a third-party contractual relationship with the Rioter Hiring Services contractor via a numbered company in Bermuda. The Workers wish to make clear that they were not involved in any way in the actual rioting. However it must be acknowledged that some of the independent rioters may moonlight part time at the factory. But this does not imply that the Workers were rioting.
The Workers trust that this clears up the question about just who was rioting.
"The Foxconn Chengdu factory manufactures electronic parts for various vendors, including iPhone and iPad components for Apple"
Then why is Apple the only singled out for mention in relation to the Chengdu factory incident. Oh wait - I forgot I was reading theReg for a minute there :)
What has Anna Leach got against Apple and/or Foxconn that she keeps banging that drum about Apple being a Foxconn rebrander? I know that other companies were mentioned in this article for the first time, but this Apple / Foxconn thing is a recurring theme. This is a genuine question - if there's a backstory we're missing, I'd love to hear it; perhaps we don't have all the facts that would have lead to this conclusion. Why are Foxconn worse than all the rest? Why are Apple always labelled as a Foxconn rebrander, and not others (even the Kindle is manufactured by Foxconn, along with Xbox and PS3!).
Secondly, does anyone know where / how Samsung manufactures? Do they have their own manufacturing plants (I guess they do) and if so, do they manufacture the Galaxy S3 there or is it outsourced? What are conditions like? The S3 seems like a genuine competitor to the iPhone now, and so the ethics of its manufacture might well sway people (me) to buy one when the time comes for upgrade.
Apple's big. It's successfully (amazing so!). It can be arrogant and cocky, or at least was seen as so under Jobs' leadership. All these things tend to bring out the urge to be sarcastic in the British.
"Just-slap-an-Apple-sticker-on-it" is FUNNY. Get over it - I somehow think Apple is big enough to do so too ;-)
Consumers have all the power but the majority of consumers are clueless sheep and lacking in any reasonable ethics.
Foxconn could be stopped from exploiting these Chinese workers by consumers voicing their outrage and simply refusing to buy any products produced by Foxconn for Microsucks, Rotten Apple, Acer, and all of the rest until proper working and living conditions are maintained.. Money talks and politicians spew B.S.
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