I’ve been following the recent articles and reports on Apple and manufacturing in China. I’ve heard some ugly terms thrown about, including “slavery.”
If true, it’s shocking and disappointing. But I fear that it is a mix of hyperbole, cultural differences, and yes, some worker abuses. Apple appears to be doing the right things to improve conditions, but that cannot overcome the differences in culture and economic realities. I suspect, from first hand accounts I’ve heard, that things are not nearly as dire as the press is painting them…
Workers were required to work “overtime” Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, working from 8:30 A.M. to 8 P.M., with the aforementioned breaks. Other days they were finished by 5:30 PM and left promptly. Many also worked Saturdays and some Sundays. Since a grandmother at home dealt with child rearing and the household management, the workers didn’t seem stressed by the work requirements or complain…
Do workers in Foxconn factories who build products for Apple, Dell, HP, and others, work long hours at tedious tasks? Yes they do. Do they work for a fraction of what a worker in the US, Japan, or even Korea would? Yes they do?
Are they being enslaved? Clearly, they are not.
An Observer From Shenzhen—Thoughts on Apple’s Recent Bad Press
Whew, glad we finally cleared that up!
