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Inside shocking conditions Foxconn factory in China

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'Humiliating punishments for working too slow, bars on the windows and squalid dorms': Inside the factory that makes the iPhone 5
PUBLISHED: 14:51 GMT, 12 September 2012 | UPDATED: 16:59 GMT, 12 September 2012

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For Apple's American workers, today is a big day, with the release of the iPhone 5.
But behind the scenes at the Foxconn factory in China, tasked with churning out 57 million iPhones each year, there are not so many smiling faces - in fact, the production lines appear to one of gruelling shifts carried out throughout the night as supervisors exhort their workers for more.
Chinese news agency Shanghai Evening Post sent a journalist into the Tai Yuan district's Foxconn factory undercover, during which the reporter trained for seven days, before spending three days working on on the factory floor, assembling 'back-plates' for the iPhone 5.
The journalist, who is keeping his identity secret, kept a diary of his ten day and website micgadget translated it.

His diary starts: 'I have contacted the person in charge of the Human Resource who’s handling the recruitment and I was told that I can work in Foxonn as long as I’m healthy and own a citizenship identity card.
'When I reached the entrance of Foxconn factory, I was approached by a so-called Foxconn security guard who asked for 100-200 yuan (USD$15-28) to provide me a faster way to start working in Foxconn, but I ignored him.
I was asked to fill in a form to test my current state of mentality. There are about 30 mentality questions for me to answer “Yes” or “No” of how do I feel for the past 30 days.
'For example one of the questions they asked: “Have you got into a state of mental trance recently ?” Finally after answering all the questions, other workers and I took a bus ride to the Taiyuan Foxconn factory.'

He continues: 'The first night sleeping at Foxconn dormitory is a nightmare.
'The whole dormitory smells like garbage when I walked in.
'It’s a mixed of overnight garbage smell plus dirty sweat and foam smell.
'Outside every room was fully piled up with uncleared trash.
'When I opened my wardrobe, lots of cockroaches crawl out from inside and the bedsheets that are being distributed to every new workers are full of dirts and ashes.
'When someone has asked about the suicide issues, the management staff didn’t avoid the topic but not willing to discuss too much on it.
'During the suicide topic discussion, someone has voiced out that the bad living environment will sure lead to more suicides.
'Also I have noticed that all the windows in the dormitory has been framed behind bars.
'After the training session we are being arranged to start work very swiftly but it’s already night. We are only allowed to rest during the day time.
'After all the intensive trainings and briefings, I had a fever and terrible headache before I can even start work.
'I requested to visit the hospital in the factory, but there’s only one doctor on shift handling 4-5 patients at the same time.
'When I asked one of the nurse about how can I claim the medical checkup fees, the nurse rudely reply me: "Go and ask your boss!"
'We have reached the entrance of the production floor with a warning sign that says: “TOP SECURITY AREA”.
'We are told that if anyone enter or exit the metal detector door and found carrying any metallic stuff on your body such as belt buckle, ear rings, cameras, handset, mp3 players, the alarm will sound and you will be fired on the spot.'

'One of my room mates told me that his friend has been fired because he carried an USB charging cable.
'When I walked into the production floor after passing through the metal detector door, I heard loud sounds of machinery engines and a very dense of plastic smell.
'Our supervisor warned us: “Once you sit down, you only do what you are told”.
'The supervisor finally present us the back of the iPhone 5 and shows it to all of us and said: “This is the new unleashed iPhone 5 back plate, you should be honored having the chance to produce it”.
'Our line is being assigned to use masking tapes and plastic stoppers to cover up the earphone jack and the connector ports of the back plate in order to prevent the paint from being sprayed onto it on the next process.
'Our supervisor asked us to put on our mask and gloves and see how the seniors work on it. At 11 p.m, we went for a supper and after midnight, we started work again.
'I’m being assigned to mark placement points on the iPhone 5 back-plate using an oil-based paint pen.
'I’m being scolded many times for spilling too much oil on the markings.
'My roommate has being assigned to paste the masking tapes of not more than 5mm wide on the right spots that I have marked.
'And he has being scolded many times for pasting them too slow.
'Our supervisor said that these works were actually being assigned to females workers with nimbler fingers, but due to too many workers have resigned lately they have no choice but to assign these jobs to male workers.
'An iPhone 5 back-plate run through in front of me almost every 3 seconds.
'I have to pick up the back-plate and mark 4 position points using the oil-based paint pen and put it back on the running belt swiftly within 3 seconds with no errors.

After such repeated action for several hours, I have terrible neck-ache and muscle pain on my arm. A new worker who sat opposite of me gone exhausted and laid down for a short while.
'The supervisor has noticed him and punished him by asking him to stand at one corner for 10 minutes like the old school days.
'We worked non-stop from midnight to the next morning 6 a.m but were still asked to keep on working as the production line is based on running belt and no one is allowed to stop. I’m so starving and fully exhausted.
'By my own calculations, I have to mark five iPhone plates every minute, at least. For every 10 hours, I have to accomplish 3,000 iPhone 5 back plates.
'There are total four production lines in charge of this process, 12 workers in every line.
'Each line can produce 36,000 iPhone 5 back plates in half a day, this is scary … I finally stopped working at 7 a.m. We were asked to gather again after work. The supervisor shout out loud in front of us: “Who wants to rest early at 5 a.m !? We are all here to earn money ! Let’s work harder !” I was thinking who on earth wants to work two extra hours overtime for only mere 27 yuan (USD$4)!?

'On the next following day, we were all being treated the same way by our supervisors and all of us were very pissed. Every time we picked up the iPhone 5 components, we put it back on the running belt real hard and shout “f***” just to release our stress.
'One of the seniors advised us to stop work on time at 5 a.m even if the supervisor ask you to over time, as this is not against the regulations. Among our batch of 36 new workers, only two workers were lucky enough to arrange work under the quality control inspection department, where they get to rest 10 minutes for every 2 hours work, unlike the rest of us who have to work non-stop for 7 straight hours.'
MicGadget, which made the original translation, said: 'We are confounded on the diary on how bad the living condition of the Foxconn workers at the dormitory and the kind of treatment they have received.
'Though it’s still interesting to know the workflow of manufacturing the iPhone 5 back-plate.
'Although there is no guarantee of the report’s authenticity, but we still feel that all Apple fanboys should appreciate the hard work from the Chinese workers, as they have worked overtime which is certainly underpaid, just to rush out the iPhone 5 hoping to meet the scheduled of the launching date.'
However, human nature is a fickly thing, for straight away, the author shows his own excitement at getting his hands on Apple's latest toy: 'Now we are getting even more excited after roughly knowing the factory’s production workflow of the latest iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 release: Inside the shocking conditions of Foxconn factory | Mail Online
 
Everyone knows you want those factories in Vietnam but you can't have them... WHy so bitter?:meeting:
 
Instead of finding fault with the poster why dont we comment on the contents of the post ?

because I gave you the whole intention of this post, why don't you comment on the contents of the post?
 
Everyone knows you want those factories in Vietnam but you can't have them... WHy so bitter?:meeting:

The article is on the occasion of iphone-5 release date.
Please read it to understand and sympathize with the workers who produced it [iphone]
Why so bitter?
 
The article is on the occasion of iphone-5 release date.
Please read it to understand and sympathize with the workers who produced it [iphone]
Why so bitter?

Hmm sympathize, they do not need sympathy, they need money for food on the table, they are not being forced to work. my sympathy goes to all the staving ppl around the world, no shame in making money with your own hands god gave you. just like the workers in Vietnamese NIKE factory AM I RIGHT?
 
this generation of Chinese kids are spoiled ones who hardly how the working conditions in the past.

my grandfather in law was from a small village in Nagano in North Japan, and the so called migrant workers in 1960s. he has a photo album that showed the working conditions where he worked in Matsushita(Panasonic) plant in Kobe suburb. that was called "Terrible".

Yes, some low end industries are exiting China to Vietnam and Cambodia, such as Shoe Making and Textile, it's a natural overspill. But high tech assembly plant like Foxconn cannot leave China as they need sophisticated and efficient parts supply chains, a powerful economic advantage no country can catch up with China in a decade.
 
But the thing is what is Chinese Govt doing , Y arnt they protecting their people from these bloody cooperates.

Gvt should make sure that the workers are paid handsomely on time and make sure company take care of the employees to a great extend.
 
this generation of Chinese kids are spoiled ones who hardly how the working conditions in the past.

my grandfather in law was from a small village in Nagano in North Japan, and the so called migrant workers in 1960s. he has a photo album that showed the working conditions where he worked in Matsushita(Panasonic) plant in Kobe suburb. that was called "Terrible".

Yes, some low end industries are exiting China to Vietnam and Cambodia, such as Shoe Making and Textile, it's a natural overspill. But high tech assembly plant like Foxconn cannot leave China as they need sophisticated and efficient parts supply chains, a powerful economic advantage no country can catch up with China in a decade.

I think not only Shoe Making and Textile...
You will not be surprised if Foxconn moves to Vietnam.
But only with the working conditions improved

-------------------

Intel opens biggest ever chip plant in Vietnam
October 29, 2010 by Ian Timberlake

Paul Otellini, chief executive of Intel, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of Intel's assembly and test facility in Ho Chi Minh City. US-based chip maker Intel opened a billion-dollar plant in Vietnam, the company's biggest in the world, expected to create thousands of skilled jobs as the nation moves from low to hi-tech.

Intel president and chief executive Paul Otellini and Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai officially opened the assembly and test facility, the size of five-and-a-half football fields, at an industrial park in Ho Chi Minh City. Hai said the opening "supports our goal of accelerating economic transformation led by technology-intensive industries". Intel said in a statement: "Production commenced in the middle of this year, starting with production of chipsets for laptops and mobile devices for Intel customers worldwide. "Once fully operational, the facility is expected to create several thousand skilled jobs in high-tech manufacturing and generate significant export revenue for the country." The facility is one of seven operated by Intel worldwide and reflects the transformation in ties between one-time enemies Vietnam and the United States as the communist country has opened up its economy over the last two decades.

Intel opens biggest ever chip plant in Vietnam

-----------------------------------

Canon’s biggest factory put in use in Vietnam
QĐND - Saturday, August 23, 2008, 21:35 (GMT+7)

The Canon Group officially started operations at its new laser printer factory in Que Vo Industrial Zone in the Northern Province of Bac Ninh on August 22nd.
The new factory, Canon’s biggest, will churn out 11.4 million products a year, meeting about 35 percent of the world’s demand for laser printers.

So far, the group has built five factories in Vietnam, in Thang Long Industrial Zone in Hanoi, in Que Vo and Tien Son Industrial Zones in Bac Ninh Province.

Five factories, worth over US$ 300 million, have created jobs for more than 16,000 Vietnamese workers.

By 2011, around 10,000 employees are expected to be working in Canon’s second factory in Que Vo Industrial Zone.

Canon
 
this generation of Chinese kids are spoiled ones who hardly how the working conditions in the past.

my grandfather in law was from a small village in Nagano in North Japan, and the so called migrant workers in 1960s. he has a photo album that showed the working conditions where he worked in Matsushita(Panasonic) plant in Kobe suburb. that was called "Terrible".

Yes, some low end industries are exiting China to Vietnam and Cambodia, such as Shoe Making and Textile, it's a natural overspill. But high tech assembly plant like Foxconn cannot leave China as they need sophisticated and efficient parts supply chains, a powerful economic advantage no country can catch up with China in a decade.

The younger generations seem to be less able to cope with pressure compared to older generations. This, along with other social factors, have led East Asian countries to have some of the world's highest suicide rates :argh:

Various supply chains will move and expand into other countries as China begins shifting to higher end manufacturing. China will continue to be an important and integral part of the tech supply chain.

But the thing is what is Chinese Govt doing , Y arnt they protecting their people from these bloody cooperates.

Gvt should make sure that the workers are paid handsomely on time and make sure company take care of the employees to a great extend.

Being a developing country, China's work laws are generally not as sophisticated as that of countries like Japan and Germany. Wages have been rising at a noticeable pace for years and will continue to rise as demand for skilled workers increases.

Foxconn is one of the companies with better working conditions compared to some other manufacturing companies in China. Recently several companies such as Apple and Samsung have taken steps to audit the working conditions of the contract manufacturers in China and press them to raise wages and ensure better working conditions.
 
Hmm sympathize, they do not need sympathy, they need money for food on the table, they are not being forced to work. my sympathy goes to all the staving ppl around the world, no shame in making money with your own hands god gave you. just like the workers in Vietnamese NIKE factory AM I RIGHT?

I do not know what happened in the Nike factory in Vietnam. You made ​​me curious, and this is what I found, It is very old information:

Do you have any newer information about it?


----------------

Nike factory in Vietnam apologizes to employees for breaking labor law
Copyright 1997 Journal of Commerce, Inc.
BY TIM SHORROCK
July 7, 1997, Monday Journal of Commerce

A Korean-owned factory in Vietnam that makes shoes for Nike Inc. recently issued a public apology to its workers for violating a Vietnamese law limiting overtime work.

The notice at Sam Yang Vietnam Co. identified 290 employees who worked more than the legal maximum of 200 hours of overtime a year in 1996. Sam Yang, a Nike contractor in Ho Chi Minh City, employs 6,400.

""We would like to apologize and compensate them for the violation,'' the company said in the handout. It also stated that Sam Yang had eliminated a practice of paying trainees less than the minimum wage and is planning to have a full-time doctor to staff the factory's clinic.

The letter underscores the kinds of pressures multinational corporations face from Vietnam's government-backed unions.

-----------------------------

Nike factory in Vietnam shut after minor clashes
05-Apr-2008 Intellasia | AFP | 5:01 AM

A factory that makes shoes for Nike in Vietnam has been temporarily shut down after minor clashes broke out at the end of a two-day work stoppage, government and union officials said Thursday.

File photo shows Vietnamese workers checking items on a production line for Nike in HCM City. A factory that makes shoes for Nike in Vietnam has been temporarily shut down after minor clashes broke out at the end of a two-day work stoppage, government and union officials said Thursday.
(AFP/File)

More than 15,000 workers went on strike on Monday at the Ching Luh factory in southern Long An province to demand a monthly pay rise of 200,000 dong (US$12.4), saying they needed better pay to cope with spiralling inflation.
Union official Nguyen Thi Dung said the strike had ended on Wednesday after workers agreed to the management’s offer of a raise of 100,000 dong a month.

Nike factory in Vietnam shut after minor clashes - Intellasia East Asia News
 
Watchdog group once again blasts Foxconn, Apple over labor
Despite Foxconn's efforts to improve working conditions at its factories, a watchdog group says it has found numerous faults.

by Josh Lowensohn September 20, 2012 10:09 AM

Workers putting together Apple's latest iPhone in one of Foxconn's plants in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China still face "deplorably harsh working conditions" according to a new report published today.
The 10-page report entitled "New iPhone, old abuses," by the Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM), claims that workers at Foxconn's Zhengzhou facility are still being forced to work overtime and experiencing numerous working violations.
The report, like others the group has put out in the past, is based on offsite interviews with workers at Foxconn factories. This time it's 60 workers from Zhengzhou during the first week of September 2012.
Listed among the chief findings is excessive overtime that adds "between 80-100 hours" a month of overtime (some of which is not paid, the report says); subcontracted workers that may not have insurance; difficulty striking or organizing a union; frequent contact with strong chemicals; and relocation to other Foxconn facilities without knowledge of when they can return to their original location.
...

Watchdog group once again blasts Foxconn, Apple over labor | Apple - CNET News
 
For example one of the questions they asked: “Have you got into a state of mental trance recently ?”

Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/china-...ions-foxconn-factory-china.html#ixzz27AMFexvn
What a lame question! I thought the Chinese were always in a trance!! Like most Chinese posters here on PDF! :lol:

But seriously, all that glitters isn't gold! Like Shanghai and Beijing - spit and polish from the outside but crap within! But that's China. It's said that after 30 years, there would be hardly anyone left to work in their factories as most would be over the age of 70!! :sick:
 

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