Foxconn Suicide Bonus?

[xBruce88x]

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/...ers-have-incentives-to-kill-themselves-on-th/

Well this article greeted me on aim's persistent start up page... If this is true, then i may be switching motherboards asap., just doesn't seem right.

 

[cadaveca]

How do you think I feel? I got a Foxconn BlackOps for free!


:shadedshu

 

[FreedomEclipse]

It just proves how bad the working conditions are in China. not long ago. a guy at an apple factory commited suicide after being constantly hounded & physically beaten over misplacing/losing a ipod prototype.

 

[Kantastic]

I'm not Chinese...

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Foxconn is a Taiwanese company. I imagine the working conditions aren't much better there than China though.

 

[Kantastic]

Foxconn is a Taiwanese company. :x

Okay then I'm still Chinese.

*Phew*

I never liked Taiwan...

I imagine the working conditions aren't much better there than China though.

Meh... I don't see any Gigabyte or Asus employees suiciding, that's slightly reassuring.

 

[DannibusX]

It just proves how bad the working conditions are in China. not long ago. a guy at an apple factory commited suicide after being constantly hounded & physically beaten over misplacing/losing a ipod prototype.

That Apple factory you speak of is, in fact, Foxconn.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

That Apple factory you speak of is, in fact, Foxconn.

if its the same factory, then management needs to get sacked.


& nice smurfs avatar

 

[xBruce88x]

hmm... so uh anyone want to trade me am2+/am3 mobo?

 

[FreedomEclipse]

hmm... so uh anyone want to trade me am2+/am3 mobo?

try the trade section of the forum

 

[DannibusX]

try the trade section of the forum

lol, I think he's kidding.

 

[currahee440]

Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that operates factories in China. I'm sure that Foxconn's facilities and working conditions are actually a LOT better than most Chinese factories out there. The only reason why it got attention was probably because that Foxconn is a well known international brand for making Apple products. There are factories in rural areas that are much, much worse and are built because of corporate dealing with local officials there. Also it is not uncommon to see factories start up then pack up and leave without paying its workers anything.
So yeah, compared to the rest Foxconn actually is a lot better off. I'm not saying the suicides are justified in no way. But I've been to China before. 1,200RMB is a lot to live off of esp. when a 20oz Sprite bottle only went for 1.35RMB.

The only thing that is difficult to get for these people are consumer electronics and cars, because then they are priced the same or more than what we pay for. So that Radeon HD 5770 I got could go for 1,200 RMB alone.

 

[Techtu]

It just proves how bad the working conditions are in China. not long ago. a guy at an apple factory commited suicide after being constantly hounded & physically beaten over misplacing/losing a ipod prototype.

Can you blame them for that... could you imagine if Bill Gates got his hands on the prototype

 

[erocker]

Majority of people don't care. They want their electronic gadgets.

McDonalds makes you fat and unhealty. People want their Big Macs.

BP has ruined the lives of many and have polluted the Ocean. People still buy their stock.

It's all about greed and money folks, people are an afterthought at best.

 

[Techtu]

Majority of people don't care. They want their electronic gadgets.

McDonalds makes you fat and unhealty. People want their Big Macs.

BP has ruined the lives of many and have polluted the Ocean. People still buy their stock.

It's all about greed and money folks, people are an afterthought at best.

Very well said

 

[currahee440]

It's all about greed and money folks, people are an afterthought at best.

This world is ran by greed. That is the primary motivator of capitalism. It's what drives the capitalist war machine.

 

[erocker]

What about the socialist and communist war machines? Greed isn't exclusive to political theology. It is exclusive to people. Blaming politics is a cop out. Blame the greedy people, they are the ones with blood on their hands.

 

[1Kurgan1]

Majority of people don't care. They want their electronic gadgets.

McDonalds makes you fat and unhealty. People want their Big Macs.

BP has ruined the lives of many and have polluted the Ocean. People still buy their stock.

It's all about greed and money folks, people are an afterthought at best.

Hey now, I don't wantto hear your fast food bashing here, I am on the Mcdonalds diet and am 6ft 3in 155lbs and my excersize is videogames

But beyond that, I agree, people want what they want, and the cheaper the better, and companies want money, and the cheaper they can make it, the cheaper they can sell it, in the end the workers get screwed.

 

[currahee440]

Socialism works... because there is social responsibility. Communism is also founded by this principle, though the state really didn't do much for the people. I'm not saying economic theories are flawed or perfect. I'm just saying Capitalism is all about greed.

 

[erocker]

Socialism works... because there is social responsibility. Communism is also founded by this principle, though the state really didn't do much for the people. I'm not saying economic theories are flawed or perfect. I'm just saying Capitalism is all about greed.

And I'm saying Socialism and Communism is all about greed as well. Those who are in control are the ones with the power. Really I'd rather this not turn into a political discussion as it is inappropriate for a tech site. Fact of the matter is, this is happening in a Socialist country anyways. This is close to slave labor and/or indentured servitude. It's not right. There is right and wrong, good and evil regardless of politics.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Can you blame them for that... could you imagine if Bill Gates got his hands on the prototype

is the value of an iphone really worth more then 1 mans life?? I bet that kids family never even got sent the cheque for $15,000. yes, if bill gates, blackberry or any other smartphone maker got hold of it, it would be very bad day for Apple but to subject a employee through so much physical abuse to the point where he even thinks about commiting suicide do you still consider them to be blameless???

I would also like to mention is that the press wasnt even clear about the whole thing & last i heard they didnt know if Apples security guards that were the ones beatin on him threw him out the window of his apartment or if he jumped of his own accord.

its inhumane. you cant/you dont treat people like that - these people are supposed to be working for YOU.

what happend was very very very unfortunate, & the managers & bosses of the plant have every reason to be mad if something of value such as a prototype gets misplaced/lost. but whats done is done & no amount of unfair treatment is going to make that guy magically shit another prototype from his ass.

his line manager will get grilled for it - hell, wouldnt even put it past Apple to dock his pay for it & thats probably what drove the line manager or whoever to make bad decisions such as going around his apartment to beat him up.

its unforgivable & as much as everyone regrets what happend it didnt need to end that way.

we are all human at the end of the day & we all make mistakes. but to play with someones life like that because omg their gonna dock your pay, demote you or even sack you isnt right

 

[DannibusX]

And I'm saying Socialism and Communism is all about greed as well. Those who are in control are the ones with the power. Really I'd rather this not turn into a political discussion as it is inappropriate for a tech site. Fact of the matter is, this is happening in a Socialist country anyways. This is close to slave labor and/or indentured servitude. It's not right.

It's happening in a communist country, but...

www.generalnonsense.net

Just thought I'd throw that out there before people started arguing politics.

 

[hat]

It doesn't matter what economic system you're running in, capitalism, communism, socialism... greed exists in all three.

 

[currahee440]

Okay I am done talking about economic systems. Talk about it if you want to but I won't try and turn it into an economic systems debate. PM me if you want to talk (i'm always up for a good debate!) but not here. No hijacking threads

This is close to slave labor and/or indentured servitude. It's not right.

Yeah I was kinda getting to that and I was like "better not start a political debate". But this is how the world works. This is how we get cheap products; by peeing on the workers. It's just the reality of it. This world has been driven by slave labor in the past, now, and always will be. I'm just playing DA here. So don't get too upset

its inhumane. you cant/you dont treat people like that - these people are supposed to be working for YOU.

what happend was very very very unfortunate, & the managers & bosses of the plant have every reason to be mad if something of value such as a prototype gets misplaced/lost. but whats done is done & no amount of unfair treatment is going to make that guy magically shit another prototype from his ass.

The asian mentality (I am asian so I can identify more with this, don't take this as a I'm better than you deal too because it's not ) is basically this: faster, cheaper, and more. They don't care about worker rights. Chinese law protects these things from happening such as working overtime but if you've read the foxconn on an engadget article most employees sign a waiver that effectively hands their life over to foxconn. With the waiver the Chinese government can't really do anything. They're (workers) voluntarily doing it without knowing what they're getting in to and I'm sure they just as well can't escape their situation because they'd be in poverty and without a home if they did. Hence their dilemma.

However, conditions improve over time as the labor demands it and the greater the country's wealth. Factories are just now starting to offer better pay and conditions so things will change eventually... but I'm just saying what you guys are seeing isn't even the tip of the iceberg. It's not like in the States you had awesome labor laws in the beginning either. Every country goes through a "phase" and China is about to go into it right now.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

The asian mentality (I am asian so I can identify more with this, don't take this as a I'm better than you deal too because it's not ) is basically this: faster, cheaper, and more. They don't care about worker rights. Chinese law protects these things from happening such as working overtime but if you've read the foxconn on an engadget article most employees sign a waiver that effectively hands their life over to foxconn. With the waiver the Chinese government can't really do anything. They're (workers) voluntarily doing it without knowing what they're getting in to and I'm sure they just as well can't escape their situation because they'd be in poverty and without a home if they did. Hence their dilemma.

However, conditions improve over time as the labor demands it and the greater the country's wealth. Factories are just now starting to offer better pay and conditions so things will change eventually... but I'm just saying what you guys are seeing isn't even the tip of the iceberg. It's not like in the States you had awesome labor laws in the beginning either. Every country goes through a "phase" and China is about to go into it right now.

no shit! im chinese - I can identify just as much. everyone needs to work. everyone needs money & I dunno if the higher ups at Apple had anything to do with the guy getting beat on & jumpin out the window but line managers should learn to value their staff a bit more after all - they are the people that make it so you get your full salary every month, while you sit in your office with your huge mugs of tea, big leather chair signing papers every 2hrs & walking around every so often to make sure everything in the plant is running smoothly. its a very small price to pay. & staff love a manager who values their hard work which makes them work a bit harder despite if the conditions are crap.