Students Forced To Work At Foxconn Making the PS4

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Move over Apple, all the "Foxconn slave labor" stories are going to be about the PlayStation 4 now!

Shanghai's Dongfang Daily (via China.com) reports that "thousands" of students from Xi'an Technological University worked at Foxconn's plant in the coastal Chinese city of Yantai as part of a work-study program that lasted from August to this October.
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You know that Apple has to be thrilled about this. Even though Foxconn makes products for 99.9999999% of the electronics industry, only Apple-Foxconn stories hit the media. Maybe Sony is going to take a run at the title? ;)
 
Sigh lets not debate how awful our media has become. They are only looking for headlines which catch consumers attention. Most people have strong feelings about Apple one way or the other so of course that bring the point home to most consumers. We all like low prices, that has a cost.
 
Ponder said:
Sigh lets not debate how awful our media has become. They are only looking for headlines which catch consumers attention. Most people have strong feelings about Apple one way or the other so of course that bring the point home to most consumers. We all like low prices, that has a cost.
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I think Apple is the exception to that rule. Have you seen the price of their new "top tier" iphone? It's about what I'd expect it to cost if it was made in North America or close to it.
 
Call it Co-op? What about unpaid internships? Both connotations seem much more acceptable than Student-Slavery.
 
That's what I was going to say. Internship. Big deal...
 
I could say something about the corrupting influence of Chinese communism and their perverted version of capitalism, but then I'd be simultaneously cut off by those who scoff at anyone even saying the word "communism"(apparently it doesn't exist since the Soviet Union fell, or something), and those who believe that global commerce is more important than anything else.
 
There are actual real slaves in the world. These interns don't even come close.
 
Whooo can't wait to get my PS4! I'd much prefer my stuff made in Japan for the quality, but that's fine I guess.
 
Chinese news reports state that the program was mandatory, and if they students did not participate, they would not receive their diploma. Some students said that leaving the program early would even cost them six college credits
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Ah the collective, sublime government control. Like the "Borg"
 
Wait a minute?

There's a human cost to cheap labour?

This is what we want to compete with? Slavery?
 
Its not that they don't get to choose, but we all choose the community service project for them based on our demand of such things.
 
I thought you could only post news if they jumped of/out the buildings?

If you are concerned about Chinese labour practises you might as well shutdown the whole country :)
 
Chinese news reports state that the program was mandatory, and if they students did not participate, they would not receive their diploma. Some students said that leaving the program early would even cost them six college credits
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Sounds like any internship in the western world.
Looks like it wasn't that mandatory if they could skip out
So basically they can earn 6 credits by working an unpaid internship
At least they get a chance to go to school and get real world experience

Would you armchair bandits screaming slavery prefer they had no opportunity to better themselves?
Would you rather they get welfare their entire life?
Would you rather they pop out a baby every 9 months for child support payments?
Would you rather they were actual slaves like in the diamond mines in Africa?
 
FiveFig said:
Sounds like any internship in the western world.
Looks like it wasn't that mandatory if they could skip out
So basically they can earn 6 credits by working an unpaid internship
At least they get a chance to go to school and get real world experience

Would you armchair bandits screaming slavery prefer they had no opportunity to better themselves?
Would you rather they get welfare their entire life?
Would you rather they pop out a baby every 9 months for child support payments?
Would you rather they were actual slaves like in the diamond mines in Africa?
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Yes?
 
God forbid these young people get some hands on work experience to get a fucking jumpstart in life... Fucking bleeding heart morons. You don't even know what slavery is.
 
Sounds like slavery to me. Just because you're being forced to put together PS4's instead of dig in diamond mines doesn't make the shit more palatable. I'd like to see someone here in the USA come by and force a high school graduating class to work in a factory for their diploma. I wonder how long that would last.

And yes I know what an internship is. This isn't it!
 
Steve said:
You know that Apple has to be thrilled about this. Even though Foxconn makes products for 99.9999999% of the electronics industry, only Apple-Foxconn stories hit the media. Maybe Sony is going to take a run at the title? ;)
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As explained before, you go after the biggest target and the one that is likely to make a difference.

Of course western media will attack apple as it is a U.S company so it looks better, now with Sony, it is large and people know who they are as well so they could make a difference but they are an Asian company so likley wont get as much flack for it.
 
FiveFig said:
Sounds like any internship in the western world.
Looks like it wasn't that mandatory if they could skip out
So basically they can earn 6 credits by working an unpaid internship
At least they get a chance to go to school and get real world experience

Would you armchair bandits screaming slavery prefer they had no opportunity to better themselves?
Would you rather they get welfare their entire life?
Would you rather they pop out a baby every 9 months for child support payments?
Would you rather they were actual slaves like in the diamond mines in Africa?
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Nah. I'd just prefer they didn't have to work somewhere with armed guards and nets to catch suicidal workers. Tall order, I guess.
 
Got to love America, where people jump to the defense of unpaid labor as "self-improvement". The only thing being improved is corporate bottom lines and executive pay.

I wonder if this mentality is born of a "someday I'll get to use free labor too" fantasy, or more of a sadistic "I've felt undervalued so other people should too" attitude.
 
cageymaru said:
Sounds like slavery to me. Just because you're being forced to put together PS4's instead of dig in diamond mines doesn't make the shit more palatable. I'd like to see someone here in the USA come by and force a high school graduating class to work in a factory for their diploma. I wonder how long that would last.

And yes I know what an internship is. This isn't it!
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What does compulsory high school in the US have to do with elective tertiary education in China? People digging in diamond mines in Africa are ages 5-adults and they are doing it under threat of death, usually after their families have been raped and killed.
 
FiveFig said:
Sounds like any internship in the western world.
Looks like it wasn't that mandatory if they could skip out
So basically they can earn 6 credits by working an unpaid internship
At least they get a chance to go to school and get real world experience

Would you armchair bandits screaming slavery prefer they had no opportunity to better themselves?
Would you rather they get welfare their entire life?
Would you rather they pop out a baby every 9 months for child support payments?
Would you rather they were actual slaves like in the diamond mines in Africa?
Click to expand...

Diggin the assumption this is somehow "bettering" them.
 
Don't feel bad someday your children will be working slave labor to make keyboards for the Chinese. What comes around goes around...
 
Cant believe people are actually defending the use of Foxcon. its a dusgusting way for companies to improve their bottom lines, it does not benefit the workers, it only benefits the company. Its a disgusting practice and its one of the reasons i refuse to buy an apple product, and it damn well will influence my decision on whether or not to get a PS4. Companies need to be held accountable for this shit
 
schizrade said:
God forbid these young people get some hands on work experience to get a fucking jumpstart in life...
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I am not sure going to college should include learning how to place stickers on a motherboard for 11 hours a day for three months(who knows how many days a week). I would think that would be more a fair elementary school based project. If you think this is worthwhile experience for someone paying for a college level eduction, then I finally understand what has happened to America. Mind you I know people who worked in factories 8+ hours a day to pay for their eduction here:)

It is even worse in other parts of the World, but we can vote with our dollars and try not to buy products made by vendor who do things we dislike. In the end most consumers just shop wherever prices are lowest and ignore the rest.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
How terrible. Work experience, a diploma and pay? This kind of slavery must not be tolerated. In the mean time, I'm going to drink down a cup of coffee produced in a country where actual child slave labor takes place. Enjoy your Hershey bars made from actual slave labor cocoa, too. Do it while you're outraged that these college students had paid internships. :rolleyes:
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You clearly have no clue how Foxconn as a whole operates. It has one of the highest rates of suicide attempts in the world. The entire company SEVERELY mistreats its workers. Lets see anybody in the US, living anywhere in the country live at $260 a month
 
I can see it now...

You got an iPad in my PS4!
No, you got a PS4 in my iPad!

Production manager, report to the CEO's office immediately!
 
LeninGHOLA said:
How terrible. Work experience, a diploma and pay? This kind of slavery must not be tolerated. In the mean time, I'm going to drink down a cup of coffee produced in a country where actual child slave labor takes place. Enjoy your Hershey bars made from actual slave labor cocoa, too. Do it while you're outraged that these college students had paid internships. :rolleyes:
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"A research report, jointly produced by 20 universities in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland in January 2011, described Foxconn’s plants as “labour camps” that severely violated mainland labour laws and abused workers physically and mentally. The research also found that at least 17 Foxconn workers – 13 of whom died – had attempted suicide since January 2010. Thirteen of them had died."

Such a fantastic environment to put students...nope...anybody in right?
 
VladDracule said:
You clearly have no clue how Foxconn as a whole operates. It has one of the highest rates of suicide attempts in the world. The entire company SEVERELY mistreats its workers. Lets see anybody in the US, living anywhere in the country live at $260 a month
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$260 a month is well above the average in China. Well above cost of living.

But, I'm not debating the fact that Foxconn mistreats their labor force, I'm saying it's extremely disrespectful to the millions of people in the world that are actual slaves in exponentially worse situations to call this slavery. In the end, these students are getting an education, getting paid wages that will easily support them and having the freedom to chose whether or not they want to do it. Foxconn is a shitty company and doesn't follow labor laws some of the time, but this isn't at all remotely close to slavery.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
$260 a month is well above the average in China. Well above cost of living.

But, I'm not debating the fact that Foxconn mistreats their labor force, I'm saying it's extremely disrespectful to the millions of people in the world that are actual slaves in exponentially worse situations to call this slavery. In the end, these students are getting an education, getting paid wages that will easily support them and having the freedom to chose whether or not they want to do it. Foxconn is a shitty company and doesn't follow labor laws some of the time, but this isn't at all remotely close to slavery.
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Do you really know that they werent forced into it? Frankly i wouldnt trust a word that comes out of anyone associated with Foxconn management or PR's mouth. Case and point.

"According to fresh reports, Foxconn is allegedly forcing interns to work overtime to meet with PS4 production demands thereby violating Taiwanese company’s labour rules. The report first appeared on Quartz and in a statement Foxconn has revealed that it has already put checks on overworked interns to ensure that such violations are not repeated."

"Foxconn has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons for quite a few years. The minimum working age at China’s largest manufacturing company is 23 there have been several violations where it has employed college interns who are well below that age. There have been cases wherein even school students have been employed as interns and are paid regular wages despite forcing them to work for longer hours."

"According to an internal investigation nearly 1,000 interns were found to be working during night shifts to meet with production demands from Sony ahead of the November 15 launch."

Internal investigations prove the fact that they do not toe the line that they claim to in the press
 
Yes, they weren't forced into it. Nobody put a bag over their head in the middle of the night and forced them to join this program.

Also, minimum working age of 23? Shit, I started at 14 here in the US.
 
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