Blog 10: Electronic Giant Vowing Reforms in China Plants

Foxconn, the manufacturing giant, has pledged to sharply limit working hours and significantly increase wages inside Chinese plants making electronic products for Apple and others. The move could improve working conditions across China. The shift comes after an inspection by the Fair Labor Association, a monitoring group, who found widespread problems including at least 43 violations of Chinese laws and regulations, and numerous instances where Foxconn challenged industry codes of conduct by having employees work more than 60 hours a week, and sometimes more than 11 days in a row. The monitoring group, which surveyed more than 35,000 Foxconn employees and inspected three large facilities where Apple products are manufactured, also found that 43 percent of workers had experienced or witnessed accidents, and almost two-thirds said their compensation “does not meet their basic needs.” Apple, which recently joined the Fair Labor Association, had asked the group to investigate plants manufacturing iPhones, iPads and other devices.

After writing numerous blog on how Apple is mistreating these labor workers, it is great to finally write a blog on how this is finally recognized and something is being done about this. Even though Apple isn’t the only big company that is mistreating these workers, they are one of the biggest and hopefully they can be role models to others who have this same problem. I hope the Fair Labor Association will crack down on these other companies doing the same thing. These conditions are very unfair and no one should be treated with this kind of disrespect. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/business/apple-supplier-in-china-pledges-changes-in-working-conditions.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=technology