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High Tech Misery In China

theodp writes "Think you've got a bad job? Think again. You could be making keyboards for IBM, Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo and HP at Meitai Plastic and Electronics, a Chinese hardware factory. Prompted by the release of High Tech Misery in China by a human-rights group, a self-regulating body set up by tech companies will conduct an audit of working conditions at the factory. In return for take-home pay of 41 cents per hour, workers reportedly sit on hard wooden stools for 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. Overtime is mandatory, with workers being given on average two days off per month. While on the production line, workers are not allowed to raise their hands or heads, are given 1.1 seconds to snap each key into place, and are encouraged to 'actively monitor each other' to see if any company rules are being transgressed. They are also monitored by guards. Workers are fined if they break the rules, locked in the factory for four days per week, and sleep in crowded dormitories. Okay, it's not all bad news — they're hiring."

6 of 876 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Be the first Westerner to work there by Anthony_Cargile · · Score: 0, Troll

    It'll be brutal for a while, but think of how much you'll get when you sell the movie rights!

    Tell that to the independent film people that make low-budget films about this every year, only for the people at the film festivals to feel sorry long enough for the next film to start and redirect their attention to something else, like (say) gay cowboys eating pudding, as South Park would say.

  2. Re:Fines... by Lumpy · · Score: 0, Troll

    When I look at all my neighbors and the people at he Local Best buy?

    yes, they dont give a rats ass. They want a new shiney for the lowest price possible. They buy the low grade dog food TV's like Vitzo and others and do not buy Pioneer. so Pioneer is going out of business because the Japanese made high end TV not made with slave labor does not sell.

    While the super low price slave labor versions from china sell.

    Americans dont give a rats ass where it comes from, as long as their TV is bigger than the neighbors and it makes them look like they are richer than they really are. I always get a kick out of the "buy american" mantra from UAW workers that shut up fast when you ask, "great Idea, let's look at what you have in your home."

    America wants cheap techno shiney that makes us feel rich. If slaves made it for us, who cares. Anyone with a 1/2 a brain knew that Dell an all other Pc's were made with slave labor like this for decades.

    Buying non slave labor stuff is expensive as hell. Most people would not have a TV bigger than 19" if they bough non slave labor Tv's.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  3. Re:Film at 11... by FudRucker · · Score: 0, Troll

    RE:"Well, we did start out by overthrowing our king."

    too bad the government we have now is far worse than the kind we overthrew...

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
  4. Re:Film at 11... by Foobar+of+Borg · · Score: 0, Troll

    Those two countries also had nice wars that helped them do it.

    Actually, it's not quite like that. It is the Korean War that jump started the Japanese economy since they sold the US munitions and support, along with the usual tourism, booze and prostitution. South Korea got its jump start due to government edicts from General Park (and you silly Americans thought they were a democracy then! Silly Americans! No cookie for you!).

  5. Re:Well at MY place, by Hybrid-brain · · Score: 0, Troll

    China can get away with it because they are the richest country out there. We owe them a lot of money, and at any time they could call that debt in on us, and presumably (if they wanted to and probably could) ship us off to China to work in their factories, so we can pay them off. not only is that a possibility, should our economic downturn continue, they might just do that.

    --
    Five words describe me on a normal day. two words describe me the rest of the time. can you guess?
  6. America is simply not competitive by Travoltus · · Score: 0, Troll

    This should serve as a warning to liberals and labor rights activists.

    If you want America to be competitive on the global market, you need to emulate China.

    Cut American workers' wages to that of China, and eliminate workplace safety laws, or America will be left behind.

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    --- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!