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Apple To Help Foxconn Improve Factories
An anonymous reader writes "In a welcome move, Apple has agreed to help share initial costs with Foxconn in improving the factories being used to manufacture iDevices. From the article: 'Foxconn chief Terry Gou did not give a figure for the costs, but the group has been spending heavily to fight a perception its vast plants in China are sweatshops with poor conditions for its million-strong labor force. It regards the criticism as unfair. "We've discovered that this (improving factory conditions) is not a cost. It is a competitive strength," Gou told reporters on Thursday after the ground-breaking ceremony for a new China headquarters in Shanghai. "I believe Apple sees this as a competitive strength along with us, and so we will split the initial costs."'"
I think this is great move by Apple. It also shows that they care about other things than profit, unlike *ahem* certain privacy violating company Mountain View that just decided to pack their packs and leave after they couldn't compete with Baidu.
On top of that this is also interesting view to changes in worlds politics. We haven't had such industrial revolution since the US started growing. It also shows that the hybrid socialist-capitalism system that China (and somewhat Europe too) has is a great strength compared to the US hard stance on pure capitalism. Having spent time the China and other places in Asia I must also say that the people are much nicer and reasonable. It is often impossible to deal with Americans, but Asian people still enjoy good old talk, socializing and being together. Also the cheer amount of their population and business culture, with a still relaxed life helps them.
I am more than interested to see this change in politics, and as I am already living in Asia (I moved here from Europe), stuff is about to get great soon.
Fox to help hens improve hen house. Farmers think everything will turn out just swell.
Actually, it will...because the truth is that Foxconn is not at all bad when you look at working conditions in China across the board. So, if Apple publicly does this and makes Foxconn a great place to work, they can then turn this whole perception around by highlighting what it's like for the workers who make HTC/Samsung/Motorola/etc devices.
For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
Let me see if I have this straight... Apple and Foxconn are working to improve worker conditions - when they and their "independent audit" claim that worker conditions aren't bad in the first place, and the article that ignited the firestorm was discovered to be fiction?
Interesting.
They are being reactive -- not proactive.
So the factories still will exist inside China, where human rights really don't matter. God forbid they spend those "several million dollars" in the US to open a factory and do the production stateside where human rights can be guaranteed.
I think this is great move by Apple.
I think we can all agree on this.
It also shows that they care about other things than profit ...
Well, that depends, doesn't it? I think this became an issue when "reporters" made it an issue and Apple surmised that it might affect their bottom line. Never mind that everyone else is likely just as guilty as Apple, they're the biggest target so it's up to them to make the first move. In the end, they're probably doing this so it doesn't cost them sales from the hippies.
... unlike *ahem* certain privacy violating company Mountain View that just decided to pack their packs and leave after they couldn't compete with Baidu.
There's so much wrong with this statement I don't even know where to start. Google has some privacy violations here in the United States but they're pretty mild compared to what the Chinese government does to its citizens and dissidents. By the way, that's why Google left (really was forced to leave) China as they refused to adjust their search results to comply with the Socialist party's orders in China. They were actually trying to stand up for the citizens and left in protest.
We haven't had such industrial revolution since the US started growing.
I guess I don't know what you mean by "the US started growing" but there are other nations, like Japan's Meji Restoration that were considered amazing industrial revolutions. History is peppered with nations each taking great strides to push themselves forward -- although they are not always pure of motive. Maybe you should check out the section on child labor.
It also shows that the hybrid socialist-capitalism system that China (and somewhat Europe too) has is a great strength compared to the US hard stance on pure capitalism.
I hate to break it to you but almost every nation runs on a hybrid socialist-capitalist system. Even the United States. We may have started closer to the Capitalist side but we're making "progress" to meet China halfway as they approach from the other side. I'm not even going to open that can of worms in this discussion but if you're interested you should check out pollution control laws in the United States versus China (Hint: China is very pure capitalism compared to the US on that one).
Having spent time the China and other places in Asia I must also say that the people are much nicer and reasonable. It is often impossible to deal with Americans, but Asian people still enjoy good old talk, socializing and being together. Also the cheer amount of their population and business culture, with a still relaxed life helps them.
Forgive me if I am mistaken but this feels suspiciously similar to the Chinese water army that is paid to frequent forums in support of something. Provide something measurable and we'll talk. Even a concrete anecdote about your vast experiences that give you credence to speak on behalf of all Americans. I can tell you right now that people in Minnesota are quite nicer than people in New Jersey. I'm sure China has the same dynamics.
I am more than interested to see this change in politics, and as I am already living in Asia (I moved here from Europe), stuff is about to get great soon.
You should read "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck, the Chinese people have never had it better! You say stuff is about to get get great soon and I think you're enjoying a Golden Age! I would, however, be interested to learn what European country you left that is in such a worse state than China.
My work here is dung.
Indeed, this is not a big surprise to me, but it is definitely welcome news.
I just wonder what the Apple haters are going to say to justify their mindless frothing that Apple would never do such a thing, because they're only interested in profit...
Dan Aris
Apple wouldn't be doing this if they didn't think the (relatively trivial) added costs were worth the significant PR boost that it produces. Apple's success is, after all, largely predicated on their excellent marketing and consumer image, and the idea that their product was assembled with the blood of the workers (almost literally) doesn't exactly help that.
Either way, it's a good thing and Apple and Foxconn should be congratulated for taking this step, provided they actually follow through, and don't stop as soon as media attention disappears. I very much doubt either Foxconn or Apple would be doing this if it wasn't for the massive media attention they've received recently. Proof, of course, is the fact that they didn't do anything before the suicides hit the news.
"None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
Yes, they are going to ship them a couple thousand of their new product: iBullwhip
Proof, of course, is the fact that they didn't do anything before the suicides hit the news.
Factcheck: The suicides were not at an Apple Foxconn plant. I'm pretty sure I recall reading that they were at an XBox 360 plant, but I could be misremembering. It was definitely something non-Apple, though.
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
It already does, so I'm not sure what your point is?
It sunk a great deal of money into Samsung's Texas operation where the new A6 chip is being made for Apple as well as other investments in US businesses (although not all manufacturing related).
Yes, some companies care about conditions of the workforce.
If they gave a fuck about the conditions of the workforce, they'd do their manufacturing in the US. Or some other 1st world country with laws that protect their workers.
--Jeremy
Jesus was a liberal
Sun Danyong, a 25-year-old male, committed suicide in July 2009 after reporting the loss of an iPhone 4 prototype in his possession
Source, and before he did so he claimed "claimed he was beaten and his residence searched by Foxconn employees." The mass suicide threats were at an XBox factory, but the others were spread around (can't seem to find the exact locations). In any case, Apple is clearly not directly responsible for the conditions that led to these suicides: Foxconn holds that responsibility. It is clear, though, that Apple, Microsoft, and others have not been as careful with their manufacturer choice as they should have been, and all of them should work to ensure their manufacturer doesn't act unethically. Again, kudos to Apple for doing something, at least.
"None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
Well this is obviously a post by the Minnesotan lake water army. Come down to Newark and we'll knock your fucking teeth in for spreading those filthy lies. I don't know who this eldavojohn person is, but they're obviously a shill for those semi-Swedish a-holes.
*pulls his New Jersey to Minnesota Translation Guide off the shelf and blows the dust off it*
... ah ... Well, hello to you too, doenchya knoe! Why it sure is a fine pleasure to meet such a strapping orange colored lad like yourself! You just come back from a Charley in the Chocolate Factory production or something?
... "How's the fauwkin' weather ova there, ya fauwkin' prick? You look thirsty, can I offer ya some pop ... er ... fauwkin' yagga bawmbs?"
Let's see here
Oh, right, I need to translate this cordiality so that you can understand it
My work here is dung.
"Near slave" how? They pay more than the average pay for the region, and though a few minors did work there, that is illegal in China so Apple were in the clear on that too - it was Faxconn's fault. Do you think the Foxconn workers should go back to being subsistence farmers in the countryside instead of making money? You seem to think that American standards of living and levels of income should be the norm...
Now, what you should worry about are all the OTHER factories making shit for Cisco, HP, etc. that are NOT improved, do NOT increase pay as much as Apple's factories have done, but that you gladly ignore in your blind hate. Fucking double standards.