Jobs at odds with workers, scholars over Foxconn
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Workers and academics have disputed Apple CEO Steve Jobs' vigorous defense of working conditions at his company's troubled Chinese supplier Foxconn.
Speaking in California on June 1, Jobs said the recent spate of suicides at Foxconn was "very troubling," but praised working conditions at the company.
"Foxconn is not a sweatshop," he told the All Things Digital conference. "You go in this place and it's a factory but, my gosh, they've got restaurants and movie theatres and hospitals and swimming pools. For a factory, it's pretty nice."
But workers at two of Foxconn's plants painted a less rosy picture than the billionaire CEO.
A 20-year-old worker at Foxconn's Longhua plant in Shenzhen told China.org.cn that he had to press 3,700 computer casings every day, working 10-hour day shifts and 12-hour night shifts.
In his section of the factory, he said, there is no air-conditioning and in summer his workshop becomes unbearably hot. As for the swimming pools, he said, "I have never used them. I heard there are some well-equipped swimming pools but only senior managers can use them."
Above all, he said he felt under constant pressure from management, to the extent that it was affecting his mental state.
Foxconn workers sleep 12 to a room in factory dormitories. The way beds are assigned means roommates are usually from different departments. The workers have little time to socialize either on shift or in the dormitory.
The worker we spoke to said he did not even know his roommates' names, and he spends what little free time he has in the Internet café.
Even office workers feel under intense pressure. A former employee at Foxconn's Langfang plant said she felt depressed the whole time she worked there. "The boss constantly watched us. We were not allowed to talk, browse the Internet or make phone calls in the office," she said.
Managers demanded absolute obedience and did not allow subordinates to express opinions, she said. Managers from Taiwan were especially rude and used foul language when speaking to workers, she added.
Professor Lu Huiling from Peking University attacked Foxconn's management system. "Foxconn puts its workers under severe stress, and this has resulted in a series of tragedies. It does not treat its workers like human beings. It turns them into machines," he said.
Professor Guo Yuhua from Tsinghua University said the lack of any social life is the worst consequence of the management system at Foxconn. Foxconn tramples on the workers' dignity and basic rights, he said. Supervisors and security guards are very rude. In some cases workers have been beaten up.
"It may be true that Foxconn provides better working and living environments, and higher wages than other factories. It may even give its workers swimming pools. But none of this proves it isn't a sweatshop," Professor Guo said.
Professor Lu complains the company has consistently paid workers the bare legal minimum. "For such a powerful electronics giant, it is incredible that it pays workers so little," he said. "Although Foxconn says overtime is voluntary, such a low basic wage gives workers no choice but to work long hours to make a living in Shenzhen."
Many Foxconn staff work over 100 hours overtime a month. Professor Guo said that this obviously violates China's Labor Law which stipulates a maximum of 36 hours per month.
After ten workers committed suicide at Foxconn's Shenzhen plants in the first five months of this year, the Taiwan-owned company's big brand name customers – Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell – all launched investigations.
An eleventh worker, 28-year-old engineer Yan Li, died on May 27 after working straight night shifts for a month. Relatives claimed Yan died from fatigue after working almost 24 hours on May 24, but a company spokesperson denied any link with his work.
Foxconn yesterday announced a 30 percent across-the-board pay increase for all staff. A company statement said it hoped the pay hike would allow employees to work less overtime, and have more free time.
