http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/ 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/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 4:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/It is only because Foxconn is such a high profile company, thus the global scrutiny forcing the chinese government to act. Otherwise they dont' give a shit what goes on in factories that probably has WORSE conditions]]>May 30th 2010 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Not saying it's right or wrong, just that this does affect some people's purchase decisions.]]>May 30th 2010 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Then she might want to stay away from most major electornic providers including Sony, and hp..

Also, does she know the working condition of the factories that make all her clothes? This is whats called capitalism without the necessary regulations.


I'm not an apple fan, in fact I've never owned an ipod, iphone, imac, ipad (do people get the point, or should i keep going?) etc... But not buying from them cause of this is ridiculous. UNLESS, you don't buy from all companies who put poor workers through horrible conditions. If you do, then good for you, and thank you for standing up for what's right..


I'm not saying this against your sister, she is not the only one who is not going to be wanting to purchase from apple from now, i'm just pointing out some facts.]]>May 30th 2010 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
This is in no way a justification for the horrible conditions people work under (particularly in Asia), but if you were to refuse to buy from companies who partner with the manufacturers that exploit people, you would find yourself with a very, VERY short list of companies you're willing to buy from. I can't even begin to figure out where to start solving this problem.]]>May 30th 2010 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/that′s just stupid..than she shouldn′t buy anything by Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Dell, HP, Motorola. Maybe she can

]]>May 30th 2010 3:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/Correction: When you buy anything, think China, is what you wanted to say.]]>May 30th 2010 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/]]>May 30th 2010 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Well said.

Foxconn is SO high profile... that's why they have to respond to media pressure... what about 99% of the Chinese factories (FXCN is actually TWnese with factories in China....) that fly under the radar and pay off the Inspection Teams (Auditors, etc) when they come.

Boycotting tech products and/or Chinese exports is... um...kinda impossible. This is part of China's development as a country and a culture, the only people who really have the power to impact it, is the Chinese government... and they're pretty happy with their 10% GDP growth, thank you very much.]]>May 30th 2010 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/Not buying foxconn product would equal to about almost all the consumer electronic gadgets in the US LOL!. If she can look at the issue with more intelligence, foxconn has one of the best working conditions in china. It is even comparable to state-side standard! The problem is because they are hiring only young individuals and china's one child policy has caused families to spoon-fed their child till now. Of course they can't take any pressure. ]]>May 30th 2010 6:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Are you out of your mind? Manufacturing facilities in China are nothing even remotely close to the standards we have established here in the Unite States. Workers are paid $132 per month base salary, which is paltry even if you adjust it to cost of living in China. They are forced to work overtime, often 10-12 hours per day on 6 or 7 days per week. They are forced to live on-campus in dorms 12+ to a room. I could go on, but why bother. No rational Westerner would make such a claim.]]>May 30th 2010 8:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
* United States. Edit button, please!]]>May 30th 2010 8:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/no matter that this government tells their people that they "improving" things of course it's getting better but it won't become ok for the hundreds of million wandering workers who are still living under catastrophical conditions
]]>May 30th 2010 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/]]>May 30th 2010 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/]]>May 30th 2010 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Soon enough, just like with us, these jobs will no longer be desirable and pay will increase more and more as more options become available.

What will happen?

More of this work will simply move to Cambodia, Vietnam, Phillipines, India, and wherever else there are still a lot of uneducated farmers trying to break out of that rut and earn a future for themselves and their children.]]>May 30th 2010 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/And if you refuse to buy stuff from any country with top leadership that isn't elected in a popular vote you wouldn't be able to buy from plenty of other countries either. There's plenty of places where one party basically is guaranteed to win the "election" because nobody dares to challenge them. In Singapore for example, the PAP candidate always, always, always will win so whoever the PAP wants to be put into power gets put into power.]]>May 30th 2010 4:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/]]>May 30th 2010 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/hey if it's ok for you to live in a country like china i will not argue with you.
i'm very happy for living in a what did you call them ,,little country" . beside that our per head producement is 10 times higher than that of china so perhaps there's something about that whole "freedom" ....
bashing aside i really do love china great country( shanghai is just mindblowing) and some very close friends migrated from china .
]]>May 30th 2010 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
You think it was any better back in the Industrial Revolution in England at the turn of the 20th century?

That's how Unions were born. And that's where China is as a developing country.]]>May 30th 2010 7:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Oh my goodness. YOU GUYS UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF COMMUNISM. HAHAHAHA! I can't believe you're even highly ranked for a comment like that. You're like the people who would say China is no longer a communist country! its a people's republic! Republic my ass. The vast majority of china is living in poverty and even the thought that urban life there could even match ours in the same time period is so laughable. I don't think you understand, that in communism, the workers get a half-livable income while the owners pocket the rest. There are many things that china is doing that aren't even reported on the news, such as their recent take over of Vietnam. And the only people that knows are the people who follows what is happening in their own/former country.

I'm sorry to laugh at you guys. But you guys being idealistic americans thinking that the world is pretty clean is pretty funny. But I can't blame you guys because most of you don't live in cities where the asian population is of any significance where you don't have easy access to vietnamese/chinese radio/tv stations. But what IS LAUGHABLE is your dismissal of agriculture as a viable source of income/survival. You see. You wouldn't have electronics, cars, lawyers, engineers without agriculture. The invention of intensive agriculture gave rise to the need of newer specializations leading to different people taking on different jobs to fill in the demand for them. Urban cities will always depend on rural resources. Another thing to think about is that farming doesn't necessarily always mean growing tomatoes and selling them for cash. There is also the people who live in small villages who are subsistence farmers and in their villages considered rich for what they have. (sheep, goats, pigs, land)

I live, just like many engadget readers, in an urban environment. But just because we live in an urban environment (not to mention it's an american idealistic urban environment) we should try not to turn a blind eye on the rest of the real world. ]]>May 30th 2010 10:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Honestly though, if it were me I'd just set a cap of 80hrs maximum work allowed per week and setup company parties with cheap booz, free condoms, and really encourage my employees to party just as hard to let off steam.

All work no play makes Jack a dull boy.]]>May 30th 2010 3:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
80 hours is pushing it. 60 hours every few weeks maybe. Just 40 hours a week and putting up with abuse is enough to get workers to have nightmares and dread going to work.

I've worked under a bad boss in Canada, and sometimes I couldn't sleep at night and was stressed out and always ready for a fight. I was ready to quit, and eventually did. I can assume China is ten times that with 1/1000th my pay. ]]>May 30th 2010 5:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 2:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/The unions are why US factory workers aren't getting job. Because the union workers are getting 10x the pay, no one wants to produce stuff here anymore. That is why things are being made in China, because they dont' give a f*** about unions. Interestingly enough, the talk of joining unions actually scare the workers in China. Maybe it is time the f-ed up unions in the United States stop abusing the system and GET BACK TO WORK]]>May 30th 2010 6:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
I don't think they're keen on having people come in and snoop around, believe it or not. the other report was a guy who managed to sneak in and be a worker for a month. I cant exactly see josh tops or paul miller doing that.]]>May 30th 2010 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
This is China, *the* censorship capital of the world. While it's a nice idea, I doubt very much a journalist, especially from the west, would be allowed anywhere near the foyer.]]>May 30th 2010 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
If we stop buying from China, China would collapse economically, just like the Soviet Union did. ]]>May 30th 2010 3:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/May 30th 2010 3:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/And that is the real problem. ]]>May 30th 2010 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/
Perhaps they'll start fining families of suicide cases, or at least threaten such to discourage workers from taking the plunge.]]>May 30th 2010 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/1) KIRF anything and everything in sight without the slightest guilt or accountability for laws
2) Run slave labour camps and exploit their workers to the point of suicide
3) Put toxic materials in all kinds of products and try to pass them off as legit

Remind me why we buy anything with a Made in China tag on it again?]]>May 30th 2010 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/Becaue it is cheap and you like that, don't you?]]>May 30th 2010 3:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/top-chinese-official-calls-for-improved-worker-conditions-in-res/Well DUH! My point was when we as consumers, turn a blind eye to these facts, we have no right to bitch and complain for we're living off the avails of consumer prostitution. We all know better but actively choose to be part of the problem. We're all just as bad as they are!!! ]]>May 30th 2010 3:25PM