http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
By the way, Google Translate says, "Very sad..."]]>May 19th 2010 9:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 20th 2010 12:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
sounds like a simcity 2000 arcology in real life]]>May 19th 2010 8:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
That is exactly what it sounds like!]]>May 19th 2010 8:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/Sounds like a mining town to me.

Build 16 iPads and what do you get?]]>May 21st 2010 9:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
lets not let this slip into the Somebody Else's Problem effect - this is totally shameful . . . its actually pathetic that consumers don't take a firm stance and demand changes. Let alone all the companies that are 100% complicit with this awful production paradigm.]]>May 19th 2010 8:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
The workers here are mistreated, we didn't need this article to even imagine but it might confirm some beliefs and make them more grounded in fact, which is better than just imagining the best/worst-case. The fact that they can get away with it is why so many companies locate in these developing countries, as much to due with how much blood they can squeeze from the turnip than how much they actually pay to each turnip.

As another point, part of the suicide rate outside Foxconn is due also to companies like Foxconn that can pay much higher wages and therefore raise the poverty line and make it harder for farmers to pay their bills or keep their farms even when they can pay their bills because gov kicks them off their land to make way for the next super-mfg city. The same thing has happened to an extent in most developing countries that the West has exploited. Cost of living for people who were self-sufficient blew up and made it impossible to continue their old way of life, in the name of progress. But some will always justify it in a "get on the boat or drown" mentality. It's clear we at best always bring a mixed blessing in these situations. ]]>May 19th 2010 8:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 20th 2010 2:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
In every job and product we export and outsource, the U.S. or any 1st world country costs itself jobs, currency value and tax revenue while incurring costs such as increased pollution (from both shipping and lower emission standards) and inhuman atrocities (from living conditions, to wages, to working conditions to the things we can't even fathom). It's a bit atrocious, but at this stage, it's almost hard to even prevent because we've been sold a system that is hard to have an alternative choice in (even boycotting can't produce much without them listening and having an alternative to vote with our wallets). ]]>May 20th 2010 10:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
What, exactly, is sad?]]>May 20th 2010 10:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/This COULDN'T be the US in 50 years.
We have already been through this, and there are all sorts of legislation against is. On top of that, The work ethic in the US is not likely to reach this point again, and many American factories have already put forth the initial investment to become mostly mechanized. The states are loosing factory jobs. America in 50 years is much more likely to continue to have the minimum wage jobs be in food service, as factory jobs are further handed over to robots. The jobs of the future for the states are programmers and repairmen, everything else is being slowly phased out by computer programs and robots. We are headed toward a job shortage like none before if trends continue, while China will likely have these minimum wage jobs for several more decades.]]>May 20th 2010 12:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
There is a Harvard case on Nucor which highlights about the performance culture (read: overtime paying high) @Nucor in late 80s. They tell that performance oriented workers voluntarily worked overtime which propelled Nucor to great heights. The case talks about how the base salary was less than all competition and just above minimum wage but when you add the overtime salary they earn much more than their counterparts in other companies...

Being steel maker the environment @Nucour would have been much or at least as worse than environment @Foxconn...

My point is...if Nucor did it...why not Foxconn???

PS: I'm not sure if Nucor still has same culture anymore. BTW, this case study is part of all MBA programs
]]>May 20th 2010 6:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/I feel sick right now, I think I should study more since I am able to do so ....]]>May 19th 2010 8:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 9:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 20th 2010 3:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/still sad thou]]>May 19th 2010 8:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/reminds me, people teached me one thing, chinese are gamblers ... lolz]]>May 19th 2010 8:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
When the only chance to get out of a relentless meatgrinder, no matter how small the chance is, is a lottery ticket then you'll gladly take it and hope you're the one...

]]>May 19th 2010 8:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
They are not buying lottery tickets, they are buying HOPE.

That's sad, we're lucky to be born here.
]]>May 19th 2010 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
here? Where's here?

The internet, this site, is available in hundreds of countries right.

Here? England, Australia, France, Switzerland, Italy? Earth?

Oh wait, let me guess, there is only one point of reference in the world . . . . you are American right?

]]>May 19th 2010 10:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/umm, You mean the site thats owned by "America" On-Line, lol... any of the places you listed would be better than china.]]>May 20th 2010 12:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/Does it matter? Odds are that if you have a computer and enough free time to read an article about somebody else's hard life, you're pretty well off.]]>May 20th 2010 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
Sad, yes, but true... it's like the world is just one big business, and each country is it's own corporation. I wonder how this shit starts...]]>May 19th 2010 8:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
I think the issue is that there's nothing we can do right now. If we stop buying these products, they lose their jobs and their life is worse off than it was before. Sure, they'd be free of grueling work hours -- on the STREET with no money, no food -- being reduced to begging to survive. What we're doing right now -- while sad -- is better than the alternative.

It's like when child rug-weavers in Nepal worked hard to help out their families, but when the United Nations caught wind of this "atrocious child labor", they banned rug exports from Nepal. The result? The children lost their jobs and prostituted themselves to pedophiles en masse.

It's easy to be an idealist if you can't think of anything but your "american way of life" which is almost 100% unattainable anywhere in developing/third world nations. ]]>May 19th 2010 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/They're the sheep, we are the sheep... the people that are lacking the moral compass are the owners of these corporations who look the other way, and collect THE PROFITS of this cheap labor. ]]>May 19th 2010 9:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
Sadly, I have to agree, I am just another hypocrite.]]>May 19th 2010 9:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
You're right....]]>May 19th 2010 9:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
Problem seems to be the long hours and low pay. Just enough money to live if you work over time but not enough to save or wish for a brighter future.

I presume Foxconn like it this way, bring em in young, work them to death for 5-10 years and replace them with a younger model. Short sighted im sure, as it wont benefit them or the country in the long term. Better to say, work here for 5-10 years and you can earn enough to start your own business and replace them with eager, younger models that are fitter and healthier from the previous generation who started life at the likes of a fairer Foxconn.

You hear the stories of these places and im glad its not as bad as it once was, never the less i will question my purchases further in future.]]>May 19th 2010 9:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 10:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
And the even sadder truth is that this isn't likely to change any time soon, really.

If a company picks a different (and likely, more expensive) supplier who pays the workers better, they end up passing the price hike along to consumers. If the average consumer sees, say, a $400 netbook versus an $800 netbook, they're not going to say "Oh, the more expensive one is using 'fair-trade' suppliers and assembly lines! Excellent! I will buy this!" They're most likely going to go "pfft, that second one's overpriced; I can get a similar one for about half the price. I'll just buy the $400 one."

Our current market conditions are such that we want everything, at the lowest price possible, and so we (as consumers) reward the people who use the lowest-cost suppliers possible. So to remain competitive, folks need to stay in the same price range as their competition...]]>May 19th 2010 10:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
Apple stormtroopers, obviously.]]>May 19th 2010 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/
Good job on this article and trying to help expose what is going on behind the scenes. Although some may choose to work this way, it's only because the only other options is to resort to crime, or death? Well shit, I'd work my ass for nothing too.

You have to give them a lot of respect as well for having such great morale throughout everything.]]>May 19th 2010 8:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/Here is a TV report on the subject. You have to turn on the Youtube translation feature:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWFsMlRyJ7Q]]>May 19th 2010 8:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 9:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/No, sorry Richard. I have looked for it for quiet a while but couldn't find it.]]>May 19th 2010 10:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/May 19th 2010 8:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/

definitely is. but R&D for it is mad expensive. its simply cheaper to hire people who are willing to get paid next to nothing]]>May 19th 2010 8:39PM