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Thank you for asking this question. It is something that I think about constantly. When the reports about the poor working conditions in Foxconn factories first came out years ago, I decided to boycott Apple and never buy another one of their products.

Now, yes, I do understand that it's hypocritical to continue to hold that boycott because there are so many places that manufacture their goods at Foxconn. I have tried to only buy goods that are not made in those factories, but it's virtually impossible these days if you want to participate in technology at all. As a programmer, I feel that I have no choice but to participate, but I understand that I am in a privileged position to be able to "have to" buy these things.

Yes, I also realize the very good argument that the people moving to these "camps" (er, factories) are making better money than they would be making in their rural villages. They are able to save that money and they are able to send it back home to take care of their families. No, there is no opportunity for them to advance, though -- that's bothersome to me.

I also realize that Foxconn, because of their privileged relationship with Apple, do the best at making sure their workers are treated fairly. I've read the China Labor Watch (Link) reports and they are damning -- of all the factories. It just sticks in my craw that when Foxconn had to decide how to tackle the problem of worker suicides, they decided to build a net to catch jumpers rather than, you know, address their misery.

So, I continue to draw my little, silly line in the sand and boycott Apple products while trying to buy as little as possible from Foxconn.

That said, the overall question is something that bothers me and something that I try to keep in the front of my mind as often as possible.

Thanks again for asking the question.

...and yet...

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57559324/group-says-it-found-child-workers-at-samsung-supplier-factory/
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/25/samsung-tin-mines-indonesia-child-labour
http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/news/new-448.html - Samsung’s Audits Ineffective, More Child Workers Uncovered
http://www.change.org/petitions/samsung-stop-exploiting-child-laborers

http://libcom.org/news/samsung-workers-mexico-hunger-strike-solidarity-needed-16072011
http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/news/new-455.html

If it wasn't for all the false reporting about conditions at Foxconn, I might take this seriously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Daisey

"All the false reporting" was one nutjob who was confusing journalism with stage performance. A stark difference between Mike Daisey and China Labor Watch is their falsifiable report that, unlike Daisey's heart wrenching anecdotal stories, can be checked.

Examples:

At Pegatron, over 10,000 underage and student workers (interns), from 16 to 20 years of age, work in crowded production rooms, doing the same work as formal, adult workers. But some students are paid lower wages because schools deduct fees for the internship, while other students will not have their wages paid to them on time.

CLW’s investigations revealed at least 86 labor rights violations, including 36 legal violations and 50 ethical violations. The violations fall into 15 categories: dispatch labor abuse, hiring discrimination, women’s rights violations, underage labor, contract violations, insufficient worker training, excessive working hours, insufficient wages, poor working conditions, poor living conditions, difficulty in taking leave, labor health and safety concerns, ineffective grievance channels, abuse by management, and environmental pollution.

Did you read the report? It's got hard numbers and straight up accusations with defined conditions that can be checked. It's not like "I met a little girl who polished my iPhone." Instead it's like "A dorm room at Pegatron can accommodate 12 people. From Monday to Friday, residents have to clock-in within 24 hours or else they will be considered checked out of the dorm." or "The Pegatron factories had a list of discriminatory hiring practices, including refusing to hire people shorter than 4 foot 11 inches tall, pregnant women, those older than 35, people with tattoos, or people of the Hui, Tibetan, or Uighur ethnic groups."

Except that an independent investigation found lots of child labor in factories making Samsung products, more than in similar factories producing Apple products. But that doesn't bring in the clicks, so almost nobody reported it.

"Furthermore, the discovery of these child workers also provides evidence for the ineffectiveness of Samsung’s audit system."

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain, released July 27, 2012.

An Investigation of Eight Samsung Factories in China: Is Samsung Infringing Upon Apple’s Patent to Bully Workers?, released September 4, 2012.

But yes, let's chalk this up to a conspiracy theory by Apple perhaps bribing China Labor Watch to tarnish Samsung's good name.

If Samsung (or any company) is in violation of labour laws, who cares who brings it up? Or does it hurt that much now that the shoe being on the other foot?

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain, released July 27, 2012.

An Investigation of Eight Samsung Factories in China: Is Samsung Infringing Upon Apple’s Patent to Bully Workers?, released September 4, 2012.

But yes, let's chalk this up to a conspiracy theory by Apple perhaps bribing China Labor Watch to tarnish Samsung's good name.

If Samsung (or any company) is in violation of labour laws, who cares who brings it up? Or does it hurt that much now that the shoe being on the other foot?

China Labor Watch is the same organization that made the report that caused Apple so much PR angst. They also recently reported that Samsung phone factories employ children, but since it's not Apple nobody in the Western world got upset about it.

At least samsung doesn't hire kids like apple does.

Yes, children build Samsung phones.

Instead of just saying one company does better than the other, I think Mr. Li Qiang would be much more helpful to his cause if he actually published his findings and methodology.

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/ - Are your complaints that he doesn't single out Apple, hateboy?

From the web site http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/ "CLW has conducted a series of in-depth assessments of factories in China that produce toys, bikes, shoes, furniture, clothing, and electronics for some of the largest U.S. companies". Yeah well that straight off is a bit PR suspect. Location China Labor Watch, 147 W 35TH ST STE 406 New York, NY 10001. Check report 35 factories 25,000 workers, that doesn;t seem very many at all, in fact a drop in the ocean so to speak.

Foxconn's inhumane and militant management system which lacks fundamental respect for workers' rights. Hey wait up, ain't that the company that actually makes Apple products.

Ohh I get the Apple Public relations team has been at work, corrupting a labour organisation with cash to create some PR=B$ to get passed the hammering they are getting. Are you proud of yourself you Apple dicks, further corrupting a labour organisation for PR and likely putting millions of workers in China at greater risk.

inside foxconn shenzhen

I'm going to make a wild guess and state that, in all likelihood, nuclear power has killed or seriously or otherwise harmed far less people than fossil fuel per megawatt produced

You're more correct than you know. In 2004, the worldwide death toll among coal miners was a whopping 21,500!! (Most of the accidents happened in China.) That's as many deaths, every single year, as seven World Trade Centers stacked atop each other.

Contrast the coal industry with the nuclear power industry; in its entire history, there's been only one incident with fatalities. (Chernobyl, a reactor that was orders of magnitude less safe than modern designs, killed 31 people. Divide that by the 50-year existance of the nuke power industry, and you get an annual death toll of 0.62 persons.)

If all coal-fired power plants were converted to nuclear, we'd immediately surpass the goals of the Kyoto Protocol. Environmentalists spend a lot more time criticizing nuclear power than coal; the facts show they are barking up the wrong tree. Even when they criticize coal, they do so for the wrong reasons - like acid rain, which pales in comparison to the massive death toll among miners.

The recent loss off 12 coal miners in West Virginia was tragic, but what the media doesn't tell us is that in 2004, the worldwide death toll among coal miners was a whopping 21,500!! (Most of the accidents happened in China.) That's as many deaths, every single year, as seven World Trade Centers stacked atop each other.

Contrast the coal industry with the nuclear power industry; in its entire history, there's been only one incident with fatalities. (Chernobyl, a reactor that was orders of magnitude less safe than modern designs, killed 31 people. Divide that by the 50-year existance of the nuke power industry, and you get an annual death toll of 0.72 persons.)

Regardless of what TFA says, nuclear power could solve global warming; if all coal-fired power plants were converted to nuclear, we'd immediately surpass the goals of the Kyoto Protocol. Environmentalists spend a lot more time criticizing nuclear power than coal; the facts show they are barking up the wrong tree. Even when they criticize coal, they do so for the wrong reasons - like acid rain, which pales in comparison to the massive death toll among miners.