Study finds horrible working conditions at Microsoft, Dell ODM factory
By Laura June 
posted February 11th 2009 9:46AM
posted February 11th 2009 9:46AM
Despite the fact that the world economy is suffering from cutbacks in nearly every job sector, factory workers in places such as the Meitai factory in Dongguan City, Guangdong, China -- which assembles and produces keyboards for companies including Lenovo, Microsoft, Dell, HP and IBM -- have been relatively insulated from the downturn, and their jobs secure. The National Labor Committee has conducted a covert operation to investigate the working conditions at the factory, however, and found them to be less than acceptable. The workers -- who arguably are not compensated very well to begin with -- are cheated out of wages for negligible wrongdoing, forced into overtime, fed food that even a Dickens character would refuse, work twelve hours a day seven days a week, and sleep in dorms which are "primitive" (yes, workers live at the factory). The report that the NLC has compiled is quite long, detailed, depressing, and begins, ironically, with a Bill Gates quote. Hit the read link for the full story.
Update: It looks like the source material at the read links is only working intermittently.
[Via Boing Boing]
Update: It looks like the source material at the read links is only working intermittently.
[Via Boing Boing]
yeah America should invade and bring 'freedom' to the people LOL
ah... the true cost of an open capitalist market... America is the best country on the planet... and of course we don't support slavery, in our own boarders at least, but what happens in other countries that do is none of our business as long as we keep getting cheap products imported for pennies on the dollar.
Too bad American's didn't fee a higher calling to be a moral example to the rest of the world. Then perhaps I could be proud of my government again.
Am I the only one that could careless how they run their factories over there? (unless its using child labor of course, which they probably are not due to regulations and policies).
Also yea, the editors for this site need to be a little more strict about the bias in these titles.
Wait wait. Why do you care about child labour if you don't give a shit about adult working conditions? I mean, you're welcome to hold that 'don't care' opinion, it's perfectly valid - but for fuck's sake, be consistent.
And if anyone thinks this isn't Microsoft's or Dell's or Apple's fault - sure, it isn't, directly, any more than it's your fault for buying Microsoft or Dell or Apple products when everyone knows they're manufactured under dubious working conditions. (And yes, this particular factory doesn't sound all that bad, I'm sure there are many worse offenders.)
The only way to solve this problem would be through reliable, independent supply-chain certification; independently verified minimum standards (e.g. ILO standards) for instance. In other words, big-name companies agree to only buy from certified suppliers, and from subcontractors who use certified suppliers. Is this possible? sure. Is it also really, really difficult, especially when the main country involved is an ex-communist dictatorship that doesn't take kindly to ideas like 'labour standards' or 'working conditions'? sure. Are there existing initiatives like this (hint: ETI) which are weakly enforced and often violated? sure.
So it's a hard problem and won't be solved quickly (and certainly not at all by the market or so-called 'free trade') but improving working conditions (also related issues like environmental conditions, pollution etc) for everyone on the planet is a pretty worthwhile long-term goal.
I dont see how this is news to anyone. And if they shut all these down some other government will allow it for the amount of money it brings in. Its just sad how we can economically figure out a way to do this stateside....... We never have and never will......
It's China...I expect conditions to be horrible. Who is surprised by this?
No workers live at these factories. The dorms are nearby and virtually always run by a different company (which is sometimes just another division of the same company).
I have no difficulty believing the food is awful. Or that they are penalized (cheated out of wages) for minor things. Been there.
As to the overtime, in my experience the workers in these plants want as much overtime as they can get. Many of them are only working part of the year in these plants and as such are away from family and friends and if they can work a bit more and make money faster and thus return to their hometown a few weeks earlier, they are glad to do it. I'd be surprised if anyone is working 12 hours a day 7 days a week right now since the Xmas rush is over and this is a very down quarter. In September to December of most years, I would expect most of the employees are working 12 hours a day 7 days a week.
Apparently you don't know much about how bad working conditions are in all of China's factories Miss June.
How strange, the link is broken!
Here is the link for the PDF :
http://www.nlcnet.org/admin/media/document/China/2009_meitai/HIGHTECH_MISERY_CHINA_WEB.pdf
Some of those infractions are a bit harsh, but I can't help but laugh at the mock horror they reserve for the one about improperly parking a bicycle. In most major american cities, you can easily be fined (for a low level worker) 4.5 hrs worth of wages for improperly parking the primary mode of transportation, the automobile. (and god forbid it gets towed...you'll hit a days worth pretty quick)
Youd think with all that time those workers spend at the facotry they might produce keyboards of a little better quality.......
Those keys aren't even straight. I guess you just can't get the staff these days...
"Table '.\newnlc\content' is marked as crashed and should be repaired"
That appears at the top of the 'read' link. Apparently that site couldn't handle the traffic.
Maybe the server is in China, forced to work overtime, given RAM cuts for minor infractions, and running on bad power.
not surprised. unfortunately that's how they keep costs down.
doesn't surprise me. that's what happens when you're trying to cut costs
And yet their products are still massively overpriced.
Really? the keyboards are free with a computer.
I don't buy any hardware from MS anyway, on the software front, I only use Windows and that's it, no MS office or WMP, not even Internet explorer.
MS it's an evil empire.
Coming from a third world country ( Vietnam), I can say that this is a common practice in pretty much all of the factories over here, whether it's a clothing factory or a high tech factory. Although this working condition is unacceptable in the US and I really think it should be improve but if you think about the situation in Vietnam and China it's not actually that bad. Most of these worker came from working 12hrs a day or more in the sun on their farm which doesn't provide steady income and can be very risky, so when they got a job in a factory with a paycheck at the end of every month and working condition argueably better than working on the farm to them it's a better deal.
Keyboards are entirely too expensive, and after this Human Capital has been exhausted, I insist new factories be built in Vietnam using TARP funds, where workers will be paid with two bloody beatings per hour, and upon completing training, pay will be increased to one beating per hour.
Nothing on Earth shall prevent us from paying the least cost for every product produced! GLOBALISM FOREVER!!! Everybody wins!
Millions of chinese are loosing their jobs right now... I think those workers are still lucky. They are not in the streets sniffing glue yet.
As bad as things sound, remember decades ago when China began pushing
industrialization and seeking lucrative Western manufacturing
contracts one of their primary cheap labor sources was prisons. Many
people were arrested on bogus charges or for minor infractions and
sentenced to prisons, which were nothing more than free labor camps
(with conditions even worse than these factories).
Reluctantly, the communist government in China has begun to approve
limited labor laws to extend some protections to workers. At the
same time, you've seen rights of US workers (as well as their
salaries) eroding and extremely lax enforcement (if any) of labor
safety laws by OSHA. Makes one wonder if, as we sink to 3rd world
status, the US may become the cheap labor market in 40 years time.
At that time, will the headlines in Asia be about jobs being shipped
to the cheap US labor market?
This article is outright silly. Of all the misrepresentations, the worse is the failure to state the option of the worker to choose their jobs and how common it is for workers to switch jobs without notice. I've layed out some other arguments that show how the author is sensationalizing the facts to hide his disappointment in wasting 3 months of research.
1. You are not sold into jobs. You choose the job that you have. Turnover is above 10% month to month here in China. Vast majority of it being workers deserting. Not even a days notice.
2. OT is desired if not required by employees. They LOVE overtime. Now this may not seem right to the average union worker but the workers here want to make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of calender days. They aren't here to make drink beer and watch the game. They often come from inland alone, leaving family behind to make money. If you did that, wouldn't you want to earn as much money as you could? OT M-F is 1.5x, double for weekends and triple for holidays. It's not like OT in some jobs that don't pay. Now because most people want to make a lot of money and manufacturing is often an assembly line, some people are "forced" to work OT. But this is the minority and clearly, as stated in 1, they could easily quit. Moreover, that kind of IT is strictly illegal now. Much to the dismay of workers and must to the JOY of manufacturers. We'd much prefer running three shifts than two, paying OT, though that hasn't really come to fruition since then all our workers would leave without OT.
3. Living conditions can be "better". Most of the companies now allow employees to live outside the plant. But the plant gives you the best rates and a guarantee of quality (however poor it may seem to you) that you cannot get outside. Cafeterias, like housing, are also subsidized, meaning that the companies pays more for the food you get than what you need to pay. Also optional. 15 minute lunches. Not everyone has that kind of policy. But what you don't spend eating, you make in money. And that watery gruel? That's just a standard breakfast in China. That's like putting a piece of toast there. Shows the ignorance of the author or how the author is trying to twist the facts. Next he'll be saying everyone is force to speak CHINESE!
4. Stealing is a big problem in factories. If only we could just tell them "please don't steal" and they would listen, this would not be an issue. Go around to block, everything is for sale. Most of the companies that didn't have metal detectors and random searches are all either bankrupt or have already installed those measures. They can steal everything! Last month we caught someone throwing rolls of solder over the wall to someone waiting on the other side. Rolls of solder!!! The Japanese motor manufacturer next door has so much theft that they had to clamp down. Little DC motors? What the hell are you going to do with that? It might cost $1 to make, they'll sell it for a 10 cents. Hey... why not say "please do not bring weapons on flights" and just pray people don't? In fact, why not disband police forces and just put up signs that say "love each other" oh wait... that's brain washing.
5. "love the company like their home" is brainwashing? Please. if this is brainwashing, then what isn't? One more piece of evidence that the author is just bashing.
6. Infractions should incur fines. I don't see how this is so counterintutive? Does your video store charge you if you're one day late? Silly. What happens when your one minute late for your flight? What happens when your pizza delivery is 5 minutes late? I agree that some of these rules are a bit over the top but don't think that all these are strictly enforced. Trust me, many of the workers here know the labor laws better than we do. A factory is a factory. Anyone that's worked in a factory knows what is best for the factory even if they don't always do it. Chit-chat? When's the last time you enjoyed the bank teller chit-chatting with the one next window? When's the last time you tolerated a clerk at your local fast food place talking about her personal life to her friend? When's the last time you felt great about being asked to "talk to the hand" while the attendant is on the phone with a friend when your trying to pay for something? Yes, factories are strict, but they are not some Nazi concentration camp.
7. The assembly line must stop. At least for the 15 minutes someone is eating, the assembly line must stop. This is just further evidence that the author is biased or misinformed in his report.
I could go on but I'm tired. Overall this report is extremely biased. If anything, you can compare factory work to a voluntary stint in the armed forces. Prison? That's a bit off. Better than the armed forces is that you can leave anytime. Desertion is a commonly taken option.
French and Germans have a 35 hour work week. Does that mean 8 hour days are now unhumane? They take a month off a year plus thier annual leave. Do those that don't have that luxury have the right to revolt? All this is hogwash... what is truly important is choice. If you have the right to choose, then as long as you aren't hurting others, why should you be deprived of it? China is a free country. People are not enslaved, they are employed.
Lastly, I like how the author stated that these items were "smuggled" out of the factory. What we need is a little less dishonesty and a bit more faith.
Yeh! Yeh! Apple
So basically the same conditions that plants that make iPods are in...oh but god forbid we talk poorly of the holy fruit company or mention that these are similar accusations leveled against Apple years ago.
@Bigbrainblue:
Thank you for your input. I was hoping someone _from_ the area might actually clarify, or at least put in their $.02.
@everyone else:
I don't understand the issue. The fact that the work conditions such is only in comparison to your own environment/experience? And there's the tiny fact that there's nothing _forcing_ them to take the job. If they don't like it they can leave. If there's no other way to earn a living in that country, they should investigate getting out of the country.
The only reason the factory is continually getting away with the conditions is that there must be a market of employees willing to accept those terms. If no one showed up to do the job under the current conditions they would be amended to the minimum level for people to show up.
The article, overall, seems sensationalistic.
I worked in China for six years. All the things described sound perfectly normal and in no way out of place. Many middle-class office workers face some of these conditions. For fucks sake, I faced some of these conditions (docked pay for being late, shitty company food). I think most people don't really understand how things work in China. The people there are thrilled to have those jobs and the competition for them is fierce. I guarantee you that the Dell/Microsoft factories are 10x better than factories run by local companies.
This is what happens when the "Free Market" freaks get to rule the roost -- ALWAYS a race to the bottom. And, just like the "trickle down," we're told again...and again... and again...that the "Free Market" will raise working conditions --- despite the fact that nothing has changed over there for YEARS.
Wasn't too long ago that Pinkerton Guards could mow down labor union crowds here in the US; despite this we still gained SOME semblance of workers' rights...but how about these people, how live in company owned "dorms."
For all you sick people that think this is normal and acceptable: Did you watch THX 1138 and say "Wow, how can we make our society function that well???" ? A race to the bottom brings everyone down. You think its OK as long as you're on top but - guess what - once this is normal ALL of us will be expected to work under these conditions. THX 1138; think about it.
Okay, is everyone who is saying 'blah blah normal working conditions they should be grateful for the job nothing is wrong and this is overreacting just because it's not what we're used to' not read the parts about:
* workers are not being paid the full wages due to them, are illegally not enrolled in healthcare or pension scheme, are paid so little they don't even qualify to be taxed and are forced to work more overtime hours, some unpaid, than the law allows
"After deductions for room and board and administrative fees of $39.17, the worker should have taken home $289.65 for the month. [based on if they were earning minimum wage and if the overtime is calculated correctly]
But this is not what the worker got paid. His regular wage for May 2008 was 770 RMB ($110.88), while he was paid just 924 RMB ($133.06) for overtime, for a total wage of $243.94 for the month. His bonuses and stipends added another 299 RMB ($43.06), bringing his wages up to $287 for the month. After deductions of $39.17 for room and board and administrative fees, his take-home wage dropped to $247.83."
* the exposure to unsafe working conditions:
"In the Plastic Molding Department, there are more than 30 large molding machines which operate around the clock, constantly throwing off a great deal of heat. Despite the extreme temperatures, there is no air conditioning. Workers in this department are soaked in their own sweat, which results in rashes breaking out on their arms and faces. The rashes can become so itchy that back in the dorm—despite their exhaustion—some workers have trouble sleeping. These workers are also being cheated, as they should be receiving a “high temperature subsidy”—which they are not."
"Workers routinely come into contact with potentially toxic liquids in the Spray Paint Department but are not allowed to know even the names of the solvents and cleaners they work with. The workers report that the paint also has a strong irritating smell and must in some way be corrosive, since contact with it can cause blisters and peeling skin. Only occasionally are workers in the spray paint department even provided with cheap, disposable respiratory masks. "
I'm sorry, but that is fucking unacceptable. Yes, the cost of living in China is lower and as such, they don't need to be paid as much as a US worker, but the workers here are not even being paid the Chinese minimum wage and are not being paid the correct rate for the overtime they put in. The safety part is appalling - no human being should be treated like that.
Damn, all these people defending such terrible conditions....where's your humanity? your empathy? To me you are worse than animals, at least animals aren't greedy and callous.