I had the good fortune to meet with an ex Foxconn worker XiaoLv on this issue.
XiaoLv worked at Foxconn for 1 year in Shenzhen in 2010. She said security was very tight and when entering the factory space, they couldn't bring in any metal more than coin size, or the detectors would ring. This meant there is no way anyone can snap a video or photo inside the factory. The environment in the factory is dense and heavy, there is continuous noise and everyone is pretty much a robot. After work, she would return to her squatters where more than 100 people lived in a room. There is no washing or drying facilities, so all they could do is to hang their undies and socks over their beds. It room stinks because of clothes that have not been washed for ages. Most workers were depressed, because whatever they made was so little they would spend it in an hour if they left the factory. As a result, most of them never left the factory, but laboured on to make as much as they could. The workers could leave Foxconn anytime they wanted, however, their salary would be withheld, so given their salary was so low, most could not afford to leave. XiaoLv left when one of the girls committed suicide. She said her time at Foxconn was a nightmare, nevertheless, Foxconn is not the only factory.
Apple agrees to China factory checks as shares soar
BY:MURAD AHMED
From:The Times
February 15, 2012 12:00AM
AS Apple's shares broke through $US500 ($468) for the first time yesterday, the company allowed a group that campaigns against sweatshops to check conditions of its Chinese factory workers.
Apple said it had invited the Fair Labour Association to inspect plants in China, where products such as iPhones and iPads are made. The visit will include a factory in Shenzhen run by Foxconn, one of Apple's biggest manufacturers.
An explosion at a Foxconn plant in Chengdu, southwest China, claimed four lives last year, and in 2010 there was a spate of suicides by Shenzhen workers. "We believe people everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we've asked the FLA to independently assess our largest suppliers," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.
The invitation emerged as Apple's market value rose to $US460 billion, after record sales of iPhones and iPads. The company listed its biggest suppliers, and reports on factory inspections, in a move intended to combat criticism of work conditions after revelations of brutal practices and dangerous systems.
Checks showed employees worked excessive overtime, sometimes seven days a week, and many were under-age. Others had been killed in explosions or injured handling chemicals.
Foxconn claimed yesterday all workers were given an hour's lunch break and access to medical care, and said only 5 per cent had to stand to work. "Foxconn is not perfect, but we have made tremendous progress."
