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| Foxconn workers during typical day |
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| In response to suicides, Foxconn installed protective nets to catch jumpers |
After Foxconn Suicides, Scrutiny of China's Grim Factories
- What are some of the conditions that exist in Chinese factories that lead workers to commit suicide? Quote from the article.
- What specifically do sociologists and academics say about the suicides?
- What specific problems did his sister say Mr. Ma had at Foxconn that led to his suicide?
- Do you think the American companies such as Apple, Dell, and Hewlett Packard have any moral obligation to insure that basic human rights and dignity are adhered to in the factories that manufacture their products? Discuss your opinion.
Jennifer Roese
ReplyDelete1. Some conditions that exist in Chinese factories that lead workers to commit suicide are long days/ over working, wages are too low, lack of sleep, military- style drills, shortage of water, forbidden of food (sometimes), etc. "They complain about military-style drills, verbal abuse by superiors and self- criticisms they are forced to read aloud, as well as occasionally being pressured to work as many 13 consecutive days to complete a big costumer order- even when it means sleeping on the factory floor."
2. Sociologists and academics say that they see the suicides as trend that is starting to spread worldwide and the new workers are taking over the difficulties that the previous workers left behind just to have a little wage and to be reason behind China's economic miracle.
3. Mr. Ma's sister said that his specific problems he had at Foxconn that led to his suicide was that he did not have a good relationship with his production team manager and that the manager often cursed at him, he was demoted to scrubbing toilets, his wage was about $1 an hour, and he was overworked.
4. I think that American companies do have moral obligation to insure that basic human rights and dignity are adhered to in the factories that manufacture their products. The companies may not have the best way of running the company factories for the people that work their, but I'm sure that it is better than China. I feel that America treats their workers more fairly and better than in China, but I also feel like there aren't as many factories for Apple or Dell in America than there are in China.
Hailey Dismore
ReplyDelete1. The conditions in the factory were brutal. The workers slaved on overtime shifts, working seven nights a week. They suffered through military style drills, verbal abuse from instructors and sometimes were forced to sleep on the factory floor due to many consecutive days on non-stop work at the facility. "Mr. Ma’s pay stub shows that he worked 286 hours in the month before he died, including 112 hours of overtime, about three times the legal limit. For all of that, even with extra pay for overtime, he earned the equivalent of $1 an hour."
2. Sociologists and academics say that the previous workers have started a trend at the factory. More and more workers are simply refusing to work these long hard hours and are quitting their jobs due to the path made by the previous workers.
3. Mr. Ma's sister said he had specific problems at the facility such as working 11 hours of overnight shifts, seven night weeks and only getting paid 1$ every hour. He worked 286 hours out of the month before he committed suicide which includes 112 hours of overtime which she suggested was 3 times the legal limit.
4. I believe that companies do have the moral obligation to ensure basic human rights and that the workers who manufacture their products are treated right. This is because the workers in these facilities are slaving away long hours day after day to manufacture their products and are in such harsh conditions. The least these big time companies can do for them is make sure they are treated better than they are now.
1. Chinese factory workers worked extensively long days, the wages that are extremely low, little to no water, often no food, lack of sleep, self punishment, and were often forced to sleep on the floor. All factors that causes Chinese factory workers to commit suicide. "Although the legal limit in China is 36 hours of overtime a month, several workers interviewed here said they regularly exceeded that by wide margins…”
ReplyDelete“…an 11-hour overnight shift, seven nights a week, forging plastic and metal into electronics parts amid fumes and dust.”
2. The suicides are becoming and international trend, says sociologist and academics. The workers have little to no pay and when one leaves another takes their place almost immediately.
3. Mr. Ma did have a bad relationship with his production team manager who often cursed at him in a demeaning matter. He was then downgraded to cleaning toilets; his wage was about $1 an hour. He worked a total of 286 hours for the month before he died. He was overworked 3 times the legal limit and the poor conditions lead to his suicide.
4. American companies have moral obligation to insure that basic human rights and dignity are adhered to in the factories that manufacture their products. The companies have a need to give the workers a livable and free space so they can succeed in doing their work and not have to feel so much as to take their own life. America gives their workers a more preferable environment than in China, because there also aren't as many laws in China for workers rights as there are many in America.
Matthew Anastasia
ReplyDeleteSome conditions which led to suicides include very harsh working hours "worked night shifts, 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. His sister said he did little but work and sleep" and the poor conditions of the factory and the limited right the workers had "shortage of warm water in the dorm often meant cold showers, and where even simple pleasures like snacks were forbidden."
sociologists and academics say the new generation of workers are more educated and recognize how they are being treated poorly and have little rights. this leads to more people opting not to work
Mr Ma not only hated the long hours and poor conditions but his sister said he apparently had no friends at work and had a more than bad relationship with is boss and production team who would often yell and curse at him. “At the end of December, my brother called my parents and said he had a bad relationship with his production team manager,” said his sister, adding her brother said the manager often cursed at him."
I do believe these companies have a responsibility to recognize the poor conditions in their factories and fix the problems. but I believe these companies the fact that the factories are located in other countries as a way of shielding them selves from the public.
Griffin Wagner
ReplyDelete1. "military-style drills, verbal abuse by superiors and “self-criticisms”, and forging electronics parts amid fumes and dust." The workers had to endure all kinds of abuse from superiors, work in areas where toxic fumes and dust could be easily inhaled, and worked more up to two to three times the legal limit on how many hours a person can work.
2. Sociologists and academics say that the suicides are a trend showing a generation of workers that refuse to endure the hardships of their ancestors to fuel the cheap economy that made China what it is.
3. Mr. Ma's sister said he had to work many hours overtime, seven nights a week, in terrible conditions amidst toxic and poisonous fumes and particles.
4. American companies such as Apple, Dell, and Hewlett Packard intentionally outsource to these countries because they can make more products for less. They couldn't care in the slightest what has to get done, as long as they get money. If they were to fight for the rights and well-being of the workers in China, they wouldn't be able to make as much money. But this isn't to say they are obligated to help them. Yes it is unfortunate for the workers who pour their lives into the product, but it is not the company’s obligation to help them out, that is up to the discretion of Foxconn to decide how they are treated.
Erin Kracke
ReplyDelete1. some of the conditions that led to the chines workers to commit suicide was the long hours. They worked from 8pm to 7am and got payed as low as $1 an hour. They got little sleep because they had to sleep on the factory floor. They also had little time for food and water. "They are forced to read aloud, as well as occasionally being pressured to work as many 13 consecutive days to complete a big customer order — even when it means sleeping on the factory floor."
2. socialologists and academies say that more and more people are getting smarter and opting to quite and refusing to work. The suicides are from the ages of 18-24.
3. The sister said that Mr. Ma had no friends in the factory and had a bad relationship with the boss. He had to work in toxic fumes and was down grated to cleaning the rest rooms.
4. I think that the American companies like Apple, Dell, and Hewlett Packard do not have moral obligations toward the factories because they know how harsh there conditions are but they don't do anything to help out because at the rate there going, they are getting more products while paying less money for them.
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ReplyDeleteDan Tocco
ReplyDelete1. The workers that have commited suicide is due to long hours and the type of work. Some people that worked in the factories are not being treated correctly in all possible ways. Such as giving a good man and 11 hour shift through the entire night for the entire week. The boss also has a very non forgiving attitude. "An 11-hour overnight shift, seven nights a week, forging plastic and metal into electronics parts amid fumes and dust. Or at least that was Mr. Ma’s job until, after a run-in with his supervisor, he was demoted in December to cleaning toilets."
2. Sociologists and academics see the deaths as extreme signals with a universal trend. People are put to the hardest work put yet they are paid the least
3. Mr. Ma had problems such as working for 256 hours in a month when the legal limit is only 36. 112 of those hours were considered to be overtime.
4. I feel that american companies such as Apple, Dell, and Hewlett Packard don't have moral obligation toward the foreign factories because we need these things just as much as other people want the other things
Lucas Villareale
ReplyDelete1. The workers that committed suicide did this because of the long hours they worked with very little pay(1 dollar) and they worked so long that they had to sleep on the factory floor before there next shift.
2. Socialist and academics see the suicides as people are starting to get smarter and will not put up with the working conditions. The suicides are from age 18-24.
3. Mr. Ma had no friends in the factory and was not liked by the boss at all. He was forced to clean the restrooms every day.
4. I think companies like Apple, and dell need to meet these obligations because if they don't it will affect them even more because of what a big and popular company they are.
Natalia Vetri
ReplyDelete1 Some conditions these suicidal workers are suffering from are critical abuse, low pay, long hours, and much more. “They complain about military-style drills, verbal abuse by superiors and “self-criticisms” they are forced to read aloud, as well as occasionally being pressured to work as many 13 consecutive days to complete a big customer order — even when it means sleeping on the factory floor.”
2 Sociologists and other academics see the deaths the outcome of a new generation of workers rejecting the long and terrible hardships their predecessors endured as the cheap labor army behind China’s economic miracle.
3 His sister said the factory was abusing her brother, he did nothing but work and sleep, had no friends on campus, and didn’t even know his roommates’ names. He also had a bad relationship with his manager, who often verbally abused him. His later demotion only added to his hardship.
4 I believe corporate companies have an obligation to background check where and who their product comes from. If people are being overworked to the point of suicide; there’s something wrong, and the only way to make it right would be to put a stop to it.