"Work will make you free"

In China hundreds of millions of “peasants” from the countryside are on the move. Workers-of-rural-origins are preferred as a low cost source of labor and considered better fit for training and adaption to the competitive pressures of the market.

Since the beginning of 2010, a startling ten Foxconn employees in Shenzhen tried to end their lives. Therefore a number of Foxconn’s customers, notably Apple, HP and Dell, have pledged to “work with Foxconn” to live up to higher international labour standards.

But till today in Shenzhen Foxconn’s employees are housed in dormitories surrounded with “anti-suicide” nets.

 In fact, the workers always have excessive and forced overtime in order to gain a higher wage. Even worse they are exposed to dust from construction site and shop floor without adequate protection. Additionally, military-styled management is still in practice.

It’s a such shame for Apple which has just overtaken Google as the world's most valuable brand.

One year on: Apple and Foxconn promise unfulfilled

	Promise	Reality
Recruitment and employment term	In strict compliance with law	Misleading statements (e.g. wages, benefits, and location of work)
Wages	Across-the-board increase	miscalculation of wages; unpaid overtime work
Work hours	Decrease from 80 hours OT a month to 36 hours overtime work a month	Routinely 80-100 hours overtime work a month; continuous shift which denies meal break
Health & safety	Adequate personal protective equipment; health examination	Lack of protections; workers are not well informed about the chemicals in use
Student workers	Length of internship regulated; skills training provided; underage workers protected (16-18 years of age)	Interns are de facto workers; on mandatory night shift
Grievance mechanism	Better worker-management communication by launching hotline for workers	Workers cannot find effective ways to handle the grievances at workplace
Source: Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour（SACOM)

                             

The full report is downloadable at http://sacom.hk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/2011-05-06_foxconn-and-apple-fail-to-fulfill-promises1.pdf.

see also, Will we ever see anyone caring for our poor asses?