Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Human Rights and Technology in China

Workers at a plant in Wuix, China are asked to stand for 12-hour shifts with just two 30-minute breaks and these workers are required to do this every day for six days a week. The plant is where Apple is producing their new product the iPhone 5C is being produced. The owner of this base is owned by Jabil Circuit. The Apple companies that he owns bring in revenue of 17 billion dollars a year. He has immediately taken steps to investigate this allegations and Apple has also brought experts in to look upon these claims.  There are 30,000 workers at this factory and they are required to sign a two year contract and pay sign-up fees have to open bank account for wages, etc. The factory arranges accommodation for workers in dormitory blocks where some sleep eight to a room, suffering disturbed rest because the rooms are shared by a mixture of day- and night-shift staff. In result of poor salaries and 12 hour shifts patterns, married workers have no choice but to leave their children in their rural homes with grandparents. Strict secrecy is imposed to protect the Apple products they are helping to create and all of the staff members have signed confidentiality agreements and undergo security checks on entering the plant and when leaving their work station for a toilet break. Although the factory provides protective equipment, it is stated that some of the workers don’t get the memo and get hurt on the job. Apple admits there wrongs and states that they are doing everything to protect their workers. 

1 comment:

  1. This is so sad to me. We see this so much in the US, a country for things to be cheap and fast. Often we dont' even question where or how something was made. We only ask "how much" and "how efficient." We are addicted to deals. Unfortunately, these cheap and fast things are produced at the expense of people with few rights and less-than-desirable working conditions.

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