Apple CEO Tim Cook visits Foxconn iPhone factory on China 'road trip'

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2014
As part of what he calls a "road trip" to China, Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday tweeted out a photo of himself sitting with a Foxconn worker putting the finishing touches on a new iPhone 6 model.




As seen in the photo above, the Apple chief is apparently doing some legwork in China outside of his talks with the country's vice premier, and one of the first stops was Foxconn's iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, where he met with assembly line workers building the latest iPhones.

"Great to meet talented people like Zhang Fan, who helps make iPhone 6 in Zhengzhou," Cook writes. "An early highlight of this trip."

Cook is reportedly scheduled to meet with China's Vice Premier Ma Kai in Zhongnanhai, a government complex in Beijing, to discuss recent targeted attacks on iCloud originating from the country. An activist group called GreatFire.org alleges Chinese government involvement.

As for the Foxconn plant, Zhengzhou is known to be a critical point in Apple's iPhone supply chain. During Apple's quarterly conference call for the three-month period ending in September, Cook said that iPhone 6 demand is far outstripping supply, suggesting that at least one reason for the trip may be to check on production progress.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 98
    Probably dropped off a couple pallets of Red Bull to help them build the things faster. :D
  • Reply 2 of 98
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member

    And people here wonder why Apple gets mentioned when Foxconn makes the news for treating their workers like crap.  Associating yourself with a sweatshop so publicly and without shame does just that.  Are other companies just as guilty as Apple?  Yes.  Do other companies flaunt their use of sweatshop labor in this manner?  No.  This is why news outlets single out Apple when it comes to Foxconn.

  • Reply 3 of 98
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Meet some frickin' iPhone 6 plus talent and crack that whip, authorize OT and get them things produced! Been waiting since Sept. 12th! : )
  • Reply 4 of 98
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    droidftw wrote: »
    And people here wonder why Apple gets mentioned when Foxconn makes the news for treating their workers like crap.  Associating yourself with a sweatshop so publicly and without shame does just that.  Are other companies just as guilty as Apple?  Yes.  Do other companies flaunt their use of sweatshop labor in this manner?  No.  This is why news outlets single out Apple when it comes to Foxconn.

    Look, I really don't have any personal knowledge on this subject. You seem to, so do you have published papers and research to back up these statements? When was your last tour of one of these factories? You have comparable studies of working conditions and pay in other countries too? I am always eager to learn more so please share your expertise.
  • Reply 5 of 98
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Probably dropped off a couple pallets of Red Bull to help them build the things faster. :D

    That is so politically incorrect on so many levels I had to laugh ... SNL standard. :D
  • Reply 6 of 98
    krawallkrawall Posts: 162member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DroidFTW View Post

     

    And people here wonder why Apple gets mentioned when Foxconn makes the news for treating their workers like crap.  Associating yourself with a sweatshop so publicly and without shame does just that.  Are other companies just as guilty as Apple?  Yes.  Do other companies flaunt their use of sweatshop labor in this manner?  No.  This is why news outlets single out Apple when it comes to Foxconn.


    I'm rarely one to say this but please [...]

     

    See, it has been told numerous times, and if you would listen, that Apple actually steps up to protect workers, improve working conditions and salaries. You have no idea what you are talking about, really. Perhaps you came here to troll only.

     

    A job at Foxconn is what people dream about and not because it's so plush and posh, it's because they offer CONTROLLED working environment and good salary. Go to the chinese hinterland and see how people work there, no wait. Just walk 10 minutes from one of these factories to see how the rest of them live and work. 

     

    I do think Apple did a lot to better the lives for their workers and is pushing Foxconn greatly to improve their worker's live as well. Seeing Cook going in there and have a chat with these guys just shows POSITIVE things. God, what has this world become of...

  • Reply 7 of 98
    droidftw wrote: »
    And people here wonder why Apple gets mentioned when Foxconn makes the news for treating their workers like crap.  Associating yourself with a sweatshop so publicly and without shame does just that.  Are other companies just as guilty as Apple?  Yes.  Do other companies flaunt their use of sweatshop labor in this manner?  No.  This is why news outlets single out Apple when it comes to Foxconn.

    News outlets single out Apple because it's easy, and gets them clicks and eyeballs.

    Am I'm thrilled that Foxconn isn't perfect? Of course not. That being said, Apple is probably the only customer who's actually done something to improve working conditions there. I know it may seem outlandish to you, but a hundred years ago people worked just like that in this country, long hours and tedious work. Without air conditioning, and they were making metal and digging for coal and all kinds of other nasty work. Those jobs exist in China as well, and largely are the same they were here a hundred years ago. Working in a plant putting together phones is probably not the best work imaginable, but I have to imagine it's a step up from a lot of things these people could be doing.

    And where would you have them build? They tried Brazil and had labor unions freak out the minute Apple mentioned "working for pay", rather than just pay. They just had an American supplier attempt to defraud them for a ton of money. There isn't enough talented labor in the US to build the iPhones needed, not even accounting for cost.

    So, let's look at the bright side, and recognize that Apple is doing something, and Tim Cook is a very decent human being. I don't agree with him on everything, but I trust him to do the right thing. Putting hundreds of thousands of people out of work and nearly destroying Apple in the process, which would then put millions out of work (not just Apple employees, think of accessory makers, developers, independent repair shops, iFixit) all just to get a quicker fix to some alleged labor abuses hardly seems appropriate.
  • Reply 8 of 98
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    droidftw wrote: »
    And people here wonder why Apple gets mentioned when Foxconn makes the news for treating their workers like crap.  Associating yourself with a sweatshop so publicly and without shame does just that.  Are other companies just as guilty as Apple?  Yes.  Do other companies flaunt their use of sweatshop labor in this manner?  No.  This is why news outlets single out Apple when it comes to Foxconn.

    The problem with this statement is that you're talking far too much about something that you've heard far too little about, second-hand, on the Internet.
  • Reply 9 of 98

    I've been quoted 5 weeks for mine; still waiting, no rush. I'd rather have it built like a fine watch with form, fit & finish, rather than with haphazard assembly, screen not lined up, metal burrs not removed, & stripped screws. I've seen people driving on Red Bull. That's exactly who I don't want assembling my phone.

  • Reply 10 of 98
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DroidFTW View Post

     

    And people here wonder why Apple gets mentioned when Foxconn makes the news for treating their workers like crap.  Associating yourself with a sweatshop so publicly and without shame does just that.  Are other companies just as guilty as Apple?  Yes.  Do other companies flaunt their use of sweatshop labor in this manner?  No.  This is why news outlets single out Apple when it comes to Foxconn.


     

    Those Foxconn workers get paid mighty well compared to other salaries in China!

     

    People line up like crazy just to land a job with Foxconn!

     

    Douchebag people and radical activist liars (Mike Daisy) have to resort to making up lies in order to make Apple look bad!

     

    Apple has done nothing wrong, and why shouldn't Tim Cook pay a quick visit to where iPhones are made if he wants to?

     

    DroidFTW?

     

    I bet that there is a lot more shady labor and child labor going on when they're cranking out those garbage Android phones which sells for practically nothing.

     

    Apple has nothing to hide!

     

    I bet that a great many Fandroids would have no problems at all in buying a phone, even if they knew that 32 children got raped, 97 got abused, 3 people got murdered and seven people contracted ebola during the making of the phone, as long as they could get their phone for five dollars cheaper!

  • Reply 11 of 98
    kellya74u wrote: »
    I've been quoted 5 weeks for mine; still waiting, no rush. I'd rather have it built like a fine watch with form, fit & finish, rather than with haphazard assembly, screen not lined up, metal burrs not removed, & stripped screws. I've seen people driving on Red Bull. That's exactly who I don't want assembling my phone.

    I take it it's a Plus? I know someone else waiting for his, he's expecting it mid November. Crazy to see demand like this. And agreed on the fit and finish.
  • Reply 12 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Krawall View Post

     

    I'm rarely one to say this but please [...]

     

    See, it has been told numerous times, and if you would listen, that Apple actually steps up to protect workers, improve working conditions and salaries. You have no idea what you are talking about, really. Perhaps you came here to troll only.

     

    A job at Foxconn is what people dream about and not because it's so plush and posh, it's because they offer CONTROLLED working environment and good salary. Go to the chinese hinterland and see how people work there, no wait. Just walk 10 minutes from one of these factories to see how the rest of them live and work. 

     

    I do think Apple did a lot to better the lives for their workers and is pushing Foxconn greatly to improve their worker's live as well. Seeing Cook going in there and have a chat with these guys just shows POSITIVE things. God, what has this world become of...


     

    My bike racing teammate and daily training partner recently visited a Foxconn factory for a week. He said it was pretty amazing. They have everything... to the point of being creepy. The factory is huge, like 200K people, and it's actually a city. Foxconn owns the hospital, the apartment complexes, the mall, the restaurants, everything. Many live there and spend their day-to-day lives in that city, earning and spending all of their money there. Foxconn profits off of the work they do, then off of every penny they spend in the city.

     

    It is the best gig around though. By American standards, it's really weird. One word that did not come from the conversation was anything like slavery. The reality is that those workers work longer hours for less money than we do, and there's not really any arguing that point. They still make enough that manufacturing jobs are starting to come back to the US... and given to robots.

  • Reply 13 of 98
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

    People line up like crazy just to land a job with Foxconn!

    Foxconn workers also line up to jump off the building to commit suicide to raise awareness of the shit conditions and end their miserable lives.  What was Foxconn's solution?  You may guess that it's treat the workers better, but nope, their solution was to build a net so people can't jump off the roof to commit suicide anymore.

     

    Anyone here defending the most well known sweatshop on the planet (and there seems to be quite a few of you in this thread) must really have their heads in the sand to not see Foxconn for what it is.

  • Reply 14 of 98
    formosaformosa Posts: 261member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post



    Meet some frickin' iPhone 6 plus talent and crack that whip, authorize OT and get them things produced! Been waiting since Sept. 12th! : )

     

    Haha, they're probably already running two shifts per day (one shift is 10 or 12 hours, depending on the factory). Normal work week in China factories is 6 days a week. So the only OT would be Sunday.

     

    BTW, Tim Cook has a uniform violation -- no cap! ;)

  • Reply 15 of 98
    My bike racing teammate and daily training partner recently visited a Foxconn factory for a week. He said it was pretty amazing. They have everything... to the point of being creepy. The factory is huge, like 200K people, and it's actually a city. Foxconn owns the hospital, the apartment complexes, the mall, the restaurants, everything. Many live there and spend their day-to-day lives in that city, earning and spending all of their money there. Foxconn profits off of the work they do, then off of every penny they spend in the city.

    It is the best gig around though. By American standards, it's really weird. One word that did not come from the conversation was anything like slavery. The reality is that those workers work longer hours for less money than we do, and there's not really any arguing that point. They still make enough that manufacturing jobs are starting to come back to the US... and given to robots.

    Company town, in essence, just like we used to have in the US, particularly with mining.

    China has a long way to go, but they'll get there.

    As for the robots...someone has to fix the robots.
  • Reply 16 of 98
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post





    Company town, in essence, just like we used to have in the US, particularly with mining.



    China has a long way to go, but they'll get there.



    As for the robots...someone has to fix the robots.

     

    Yeah, they really need to lower the corruption level of the government. The money the world is shoveling in is very helpful to their journey though.

  • Reply 17 of 98
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DroidFTW View Post

     

    Foxconn workers also line up to jump off the building to commit suicide to raise awareness of the shit conditions and end their miserable lives.  What was Foxconn's solution?  You may guess that it's treat the workers better, but nope, their solution was to build a net so people can't jump off the roof to commit suicide anymore.

     

    Anyone here defending the most well known sweatshop on the planet (and there seems to be quite a few of you in this thread) must really have their heads in the sand to not see Foxconn for what it is.


     

    That suicide stuff is a bunch of baloney.

     

    It has been shown before and proven that the suicide rate for Foxconn was lower than that of many other groups!

     

    Foxconn has a huge amount of workers. Are a few of them going to off themselves every once in a while? Sure! That's completely normal and completely within the statistical norm. It's a non issue.

  • Reply 18 of 98
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    apple ][ wrote: »
    That suicide stuff is a bunch of baloney.

    It has been shown before and proven that the suicide rate for Foxconn was lower than that of many other groups!

    Well it was useful as click-bait. Can't ever tire of that, right? :\
  • Reply 19 of 98
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

     

    That suicide stuff is a bunch of baloney.

     

    It has been shown before and proven that the suicide rate for Foxconn was lower than that of many other groups!

     

    Foxconn has a huge amount of workers. Are a few of them going to off themselves every once in a while? Sure! That's completely normal and completely within the statistical norm. It's a non issue.


     

    Such baloney and a non issue that Foxconn decided to put up nets to keep people from jumping, right?

     

    CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 90

  • Reply 20 of 98
    droidftw wrote: »

    Didn't they just put nets up around the Golden Gate Bridge? Is that Apple's fault too?
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