Technology Blog Article:
A Closer Look
The
technology industry is a massive entity that has billions of dollars of sales
annually. Our blog calls attention to this new technology and what it brings to
the table for the consumer. Most news regarding technology is positive as it
reflects breakthroughs and new products. In the case of Apple as of late they
are amongst a scandal involving work conditions in their factories. As a nation
that strongly depends on off shore trade we know that China is one of our top
producers. Many American companies are outsourcing their business for cheaper
foreign labor. This piece highlights a plant in China called Foxconn. This
plant is located in Shenzhen China, which is a bustling industrial area in
Southern China. We often imagine factories as huge buildings where the workers
are working all day on the factory floor on an assembly line. Foxconn is no
different in that respect. It is the biggest single private employers in
Mainland China. The difference between this factory and a factory here in the
states is the out site living conditions. Factories in the United States
usually involve punching in, working a normal workday, then going home. At
Foxconn that notion does not exist. Foxconn is essentially its own city with on
site housing, shops, and a few novelties. Workers are assigned a dorm room
similar to a college and in a way are in there own little world in Southern
China.
(example of dormitory described)
Upon inspection of Foxconn you will find that it’s mostly clean
for the most part and the worker appear happy and healthy. After reading this
article we understand that this is not the whole picture. The housing
conditions are horrible in that 7 or 8 people are forced into a tiny room and
have little down time. The working conditions in addition to that are not much
of an improvement. The workers upon punching step into plastic suits, shoe
covers, and a hat. The often work 10-12 hours a day sitting or standing in one
spot all day. They only get an hour break during that time and little break
time. It important to remember with no labor laws in this area the employees
are at the mercy of the customers demanding these products and their
supervisors. The article says that the workers are required to stay longer
hours to meet a certain quota. Hear in the states we have labor laws that
provide us with things like unions, sanitary work conditions, and fair wages.
These people have nothing and in a way are working themselves to death.
In
conclusion this article raises the question of how we view this issue. Should
we feel guilty? Is our demand for things like the I-phone causing these people
unnecessary hardship? Personally I recognize this is an issue, however I have
no control over how these products are made. It does feel bad that these people
are forced to work like animals so that we can have material commodities. Apple
has faced huge pressure from the media about how they plan to fix these issues.
Unfortunately they are not facing any financial hardship because consumers do
not care because the gizmos are provided at a low cost as a result. The key will
be to strike that balance between fare working conditions and low prices.
