Report claims Chinese students 'forced' to intern at 'iPhone 5' factory
A new report out of the Far East alleges that "thousands of students" are being "forced" to build Apple's next iPhone ahead of the product's launch as part of an internship at Foxconn.
University students from Huai'an in Jiangsu Province were alleged to have been driven to a Foxconn factory after it couldn't find enough workers for production of the "iPhone 5," a report published Thursday by Shanghai Daily claims. It cites an anonymous online post from a computing student at the Hauiyin Institute of Technology that was corroborated by "several other students from at least five colleges."
The students indicated they are being "forced" to work 12 hours a day, six days a week, and receive $243.97 U.S. per month in return for their work. The students say the work is part of an internship that allows students to "experience working conditions and promote individual ability."
Local schools are alleged to have suspended routine classes at the beginning of the semester to allow students time away for the internships. One student said studies have been "seriously disrupted" by the internships at Foxconn.
The report also quoted an unnamed official who said it was "common practice" for local universities to send students to renowned companies and factories to expand their horizons. The students are "encouraged to go to factories to learn more about society," they said.
But a local lawyer, Wu Dong, believes the internships violate labor and education laws. He believes Foxconn and the schools could be sued over the situation.
Thursday's report is the latest in a long history of negative details from Apple's supply chain in the Far East. Foxconn, in particular, has been subject to scrutiny, prompting Apple to commission third-party audits of its facilities by the Fair Labor Association.
This week, it was suggested that Apple is likely privately subsidizing wage increases for workers at Foxconn. For years, critics have referred to Foxconn as a "sweatshop" where employees work long hours for little pay.
University students from Huai'an in Jiangsu Province were alleged to have been driven to a Foxconn factory after it couldn't find enough workers for production of the "iPhone 5," a report published Thursday by Shanghai Daily claims. It cites an anonymous online post from a computing student at the Hauiyin Institute of Technology that was corroborated by "several other students from at least five colleges."
The students indicated they are being "forced" to work 12 hours a day, six days a week, and receive $243.97 U.S. per month in return for their work. The students say the work is part of an internship that allows students to "experience working conditions and promote individual ability."
Local schools are alleged to have suspended routine classes at the beginning of the semester to allow students time away for the internships. One student said studies have been "seriously disrupted" by the internships at Foxconn.
The report also quoted an unnamed official who said it was "common practice" for local universities to send students to renowned companies and factories to expand their horizons. The students are "encouraged to go to factories to learn more about society," they said.
But a local lawyer, Wu Dong, believes the internships violate labor and education laws. He believes Foxconn and the schools could be sued over the situation.
Thursday's report is the latest in a long history of negative details from Apple's supply chain in the Far East. Foxconn, in particular, has been subject to scrutiny, prompting Apple to commission third-party audits of its facilities by the Fair Labor Association.
This week, it was suggested that Apple is likely privately subsidizing wage increases for workers at Foxconn. For years, critics have referred to Foxconn as a "sweatshop" where employees work long hours for little pay.
Comments
Of course they couldn't let the Samsung story stand without being topped.
Sounds like purest BS to me. The internship thingie is common and a good thing, but the 12 hour days and the wages are just "drama" methinks.
Believable? If true, we will likely see the results with very poor quality of the iPhone 5. "Forced" labor does not result in quality product.
If it is true, I would expect Apple to intervene. Whatever you believe about Apple's view of labor conditions, you can be sure the bottom line of quality will drive them to ensure no "forced" labor.
A 'report". By whom?. Seems that these negarive 'reports' appear each time Apple stock hits a new high.
An attempt to discredit the company and drive prices down?
Posting such 'reports' on line doesn't make them true.
Shame on you, Appleinsider
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Of course they couldn't let the Samsung story stand without being topped.
Indeed, the timing seems just too coincidental next to the Samsung abuse story. And like the stories before it, it's attempting to pin the actions of an independent company onto another it does business with, while the stories about a company's gross mistreatment of it's own employees in it's own factories is barely rippling the waves.
If it's true, terrible, but gotta say I'm sceptical.
Doesn't Foxconn normally have people queuing at the gates for a job assembling iPhones? I seem to remember seeing lots of stories about this around this time last year as they took on extra staff for the 4S launch so I hardly see why they would need to "force" interns into this work...
Personally.. I don't f*uking care about working conditions in China. They are crazy over there.. and most of the country is in total poverty. If we want a made in america iPhone get ready for a $5000 price tag. I'm not quite sure why anyone cares what working conditions are like in another country. It's not my problem what life is like for some Chinese guy working 12 hours a day. I think we need to be more focused about what goes on in our backyard.. not 10,000 miles away (middle eastern war.. cough cough)...
....The students are "encouraged to go to factories to learn more about society"....
So, basically it's learning to be a slave. An iPhone 5 slave.
....allows students to "experience working conditions and promote individual ability."....
If the students have half a brain, they will experience those working conditions for a day, calculate their pay a second time, then use their individual ability to wake up and get the hell out of dodge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 80025
A 'report". By whom?.
By Samsung, duh!
Good. I want to get my iPhone 5 in time.
Trust me. This is true. We have had numerous reports in the news here in Hong Kong about this situation in mainland China. Many of these students are from poor families in the countryside and they couldn’t afford to pay the tuition fees. so the schools sent them to factories to work for six months or so, the schools will get most of their wages as tuitions fees and then the students are given just a meagre fee for their daily living. Then the students will go back to schools to study for about 3-4 months, and then they have to go tot he factories again. I’m sure you can find numerous reports on the web (many in Chinese though) about this, as it’s not an uncommon practice in China.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 80025
A 'report". By whom?. Seems that these negarive 'reports' appear each time Apple stock hits a new high.
An attempt to discredit the company and drive prices down?
Posting such 'reports' on line doesn't make them true.
Shame on you, Appleinsider
I think the author of the report is named Sam Sung.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacChelsea
Trust me. This is true. We have had numerous reports in the news here in Hong Kong about this situation in mainland China. Many of these students are from poor families in the countryside and they couldn’t afford to pay the tuition fees. so the schools sent them to factories to work for six months or so, the schools will get most of their wages as tuitions fees and then the students are given just a meagre fee for their daily living. Then the students will go back to schools to study for about 3-4 months, and then they have to go tot he factories again. I’m sure you can find numerous reports on the web (many in Chinese though) about this, as it’s not an uncommon practice in China.
Beats the hell out of student loans.. and if this is a common practice in China.. then why is it news? Just because it isn't normal in the US? Eating dog and donkey penis isn't normal in the US either.. but everytime that happens in China it doesn't make the 6 o'clock news.
I disagree. All my girlfriends have absolutely craved donkey penis.
Not bragging of course.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacVertigo
.... If we want a made in america iPhone get ready for a $5000 price tag. ....
Im sure you are being sarcastic... I hope. Care to offer a realistic guess?
Lots of speculation and no one knows for sure, but I've seen some guesses of around 10-50 dollars per phone. For very high production numbers, I believe the lower number is more realistic.
As for the disregard for other workers working conditions... What goes around, comes around
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacVertigo
Personally.. I don't f*uking care about working conditions in China. They are crazy over there.. and most of the country is in total poverty. If we want a made in america iPhone get ready for a $5000 price tag. I'm not quite sure why anyone cares what working conditions are like in another country. It's not my problem what life is like for some Chinese guy working 12 hours a day. I think we need to be more focused about what goes on in our backyard.. not 10,000 miles away (middle eastern war.. cough cough)...
Wow. What a poor attitude you have.
"I'm all right so who cares about anyone else?"
The reason people care "what working conditions are like in another country" is that the people in that other country are people just like you and your family. They have families of their own. You make it sound like they aren't even "people" simply by virtue of being in another country. WTF?
Also, most people nowadays travel to "other countries," have relatives in these "other countries," or are from these "other countries" themselves. You just sound like some angry white dude in a trailer in Arkansas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Postulant
I disagree. All my girlfriends have absolutely craved donkey penis.
Not bragging of course.
that's why they're your exes. couldn't resist.
Wage quotes are pointless without also including standards of living data. And, as a father that has to beg to get the my university students to take out the trash, maybe not the worst thing.