This article I have found describes the conditions that workers are experiencing at Apples Chinese manufacturing company called Foxonn, making iPads for Apple distributors across North America.
The article explains the many difficulties these workers are experiencing including excessive overtime, minimal days off, and being banded from talking to one anther during shifts. As a result of these extreme conditions, there has been at least 14 suicides in the past 16 months. Foxconn responded to these suicides by putting a net around the building, intending to stop the suicidal workers from killing themselves. They believe that this was a logical solution? I believe that this was an extremely inappropriate response to this issue.
Some managers at Foxconn accused the workers of committing suicide to secure their families with large compensation payments after their death. All workers were then ordered to sign a pledge that they would not kill themselves and they were made to promise that if they did, their families would only seek the legal minimum in damages. Even after efforts were made to stop the restrictive working conditions, reports found that conditions stayed to same. Workers were interview to find out the real answers about their working conditions. They found that workers are housed in dormitories of up to 24 people per room. Some were allow to return home to their families only once a year. They said that "some workers cry when they arrive to their dormitories after a very long day".
Apples supplier code of conduct says that employees are treated with respect and dignity, so why is this happening to their Chinese workers? I believe that even though this isn't one of Apple's direct factories, it is still a negative reflection on Apple. They are allowing for this to happen because their products are being made quickly, productively, and cheaply during their times of high demand. It should be Apple's responsibility to stop the working conditions for these people.
Check out the article if you would like to read further
Thank you for reading my blog
Reanna May
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