A rare look at Apples production line in China

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  1. Benthomas15's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Posts: 110
    A rare look at Apples production line in China
    So i found this video on-line showing the working conditions of a foxcomm factory in china, used in the production of apple products.

    They even use nets around the building to prevent suicide. I'm speechless.

    http://www.videofy.me/v/410961
  2. Herr's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: Zürich
    Re: A rare look at Apples production line in China
    Those workers certainly aren't 17 or 18 years of age

    What is not known is Foxxconn wages are among the highest for electronics factories in all of China.... you're probably typing on a computer that has components in it built using labour that are 1/10th of what was paid to a Foxxconn employee.

    Also somewhat unknown, much of the employees at Foxxconn aren't there for long term, they come from the villages and take up jobs in cities and work for the wages, part of the reason they can't afford that iPad is simply because the reason they are doing it is to save money for remittance back to the villages they came from or are saving up to start their own business.

    The reality of it, in a country with so many people wages will never be high.... as the day you ask for higher wages, there will be a million waiting for your job. Plus YOU don't want to pay more for your iPad either.
  3. Gofre's Avatar
    • TSR Group Staff
    • Section Moderator
    • Techy Mod
    • Location: Brighton
    • Posts: 12,650
    Re: A rare look at Apples production line in China
    Bare in mind that Foxconn produce electronics for a huge portion of the big players in the tech industry.
  4. Benthomas15's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Posts: 110
    Re: A rare look at Apples production line in China
    (Original post by Herr)
    Those workers certainly aren't 17 or 18 years of age

    What is not known is Foxxconn wages are among the highest for electronics factories in all of China.... you're probably typing on a computer that has components in it built using labour that are 1/10th of what was paid to a Foxxconn employee.

    Also somewhat unknown, much of the employees at Foxxconn aren't there for long term, they come from the villages and take up jobs in cities and work for the wages, part of the reason they can't afford that iPad is simply because the reason they are doing it is to save money for remittance back to the villages they came from or are saving up to start their own business.

    The reality of it, in a country with so many people wages will never be high.... as the day you ask for higher wages, there will be a million waiting for your job. Plus YOU don't want to pay more for your iPad either.
    I know all of that. It doesn't make me feel any better for the workers though.
  5. Dmon1Unlimited's Avatar
    • TSR Demigod
    • Posts: 7,000
    Re: A rare look at Apples production line in China
    bit of a generalisation, but id say most big companies take similar actions... i.e. exploit labourers...

    cant really diss apple only (most big companies should be) since the average person here has atleast a computer which would have most likely been made by similar process...

    the sad thing is, despite this, you cant complain and say stop it... stopping it means they wont get money and itll make the situation worse....

    could perhaps complain and ask for higher pay, dunno about the pros and cons of this financially/economically though...
    Last edited by Dmon1Unlimited; 25-02-2012 at 18:16.
  6. SoberFox's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 26
    Re: A rare look at Apples production line in China
    (Original post by Herr)
    Those workers certainly aren't 17 or 18 years of age

    What is not known is Foxxconn wages are among the highest for electronics factories in all of China.... you're probably typing on a computer that has components in it built using labour that are 1/10th of what was paid to a Foxxconn employee.

    Also somewhat unknown, much of the employees at Foxxconn aren't there for long term, they come from the villages and take up jobs in cities and work for the wages, part of the reason they can't afford that iPad is simply because the reason they are doing it is to save money for remittance back to the villages they came from or are saving up to start their own business.

    The reality of it, in a country with so many people wages will never be high.... as the day you ask for higher wages, there will be a million waiting for your job. Plus YOU don't want to pay more for your iPad either.
    That's the most bizzare proposition I have read in here (and that's quite an achievement).

    Having so many people (which as you said makes labour abundant and therefore it's price, wages, low) is not the problem. The problem is the ratio of capital/labour which right now is still very low in China. But I don't get why it's impossible to greatly increase it (i.e. add capital investment) and thereby greatly increase labour productivity and with it, wages. The US is no small country either btw - 300+ million people - and they're still doing fine.
  7. nomnum's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Posts: 76
    Re: A rare look at Apples production line in China
    The suicide nets are due to the fact that last year 15 people committed suicide, for reasons not entirely known. Some people think this was because the insurance money paid to their family was more than they would be able to give their family from their wages.
    It's a sad world
    Foxconn is infamous in China for those suicides though, especially since there was discussion on many Chinese forums.
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