Will Foxconn ever get some good publicity? The company handles Chinese factories that manufacture electronics for Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Apple and more, but that's not why they're famous; that would be because their employees keep threatening to commit/actually committing suicide.
Reports of escalating suicide rates at one factory caused quite a stir last year, and on Jan. 2 this year, 300 employees at a plant in Wuhan, China threatened to throw themselves off the roof of the building because of compensation they were owed. Apparently they were involved in the manufacture of Xbox 360s.
When Foxconn refused to give the workers raises, they were given the option to quit with compensation. Many chose to quit, but when they asked for their compensation, the company supposedly terminated the agreement. So they took to the roof and very publicly threatened to commit mass suicide. The mayor of Wuhan had to show up to talk them down.
Microsoft issued a statement to Kotaku: "Microsoft takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously, and we are currently investigating this issue. We have a stringent Vendor Code of Conduct that spells out our expectations, and we monitor working conditions closely on an ongoing basis and address issues as they emerge. Microsoft is committed to the fair treatment and safety of workers employed by our vendors, and to ensuring conformance with Microsoft policy."
Let's hope so. What should Microsoft do to improve conditions for Foxconn workers? Is it even their responsibility? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter.
citizen2000 January 10th, 2012 at 08:12 PM
How is this different than "blood diamonds" or other products of the exploitation of workers. Those products have been boycotted and laws have been passed to prevent such exploitation. This Apple supplier has ignored worker safety and had industrial explosions, chemical exposures affecting workers health and now working conditions so bad they might cause mass suicide. Apple and other multi-national corporations are making deals with China that are killing workers. Chinese scientist came to the University of Michigan in the 1990's to study industrial explosions with our faculty and they were supposed to go back to China and work on preventing such explosions. Instead they went back and worked on weapons for China's military. Read more at www.china-threat.com