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Ninth worker death at Taiwan iPhone firm Foxconn.

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  • 22-05-2010 8:08pm
    #1
    Oracle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,630 ✭✭✭


    According to the BBC News web site, working at the electronics firm Foxconn in China seems to have its problems ......
    Ninth worker death at Taiwan iPhone firm Foxconn

    A ninth employee has jumped to his death at Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer Foxconn, China's state media reports.

    Xinhua said 21-year-old Nan Gang leapt from a four-storey factory in the early hours, soon after finishing work.

    Shortly after, it emerged that the death of a worker at a Foxconn plant in Hebei province earlier this year was also a suicide.

    A total of 11 Foxconn employees have tried to kill themselves this year - two have survived.


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    #2
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Foxconn says it has hired 100 counsellors and invited monks to help workers at a new Employee Care Centre and trained its medical staff to provide emotional support.

    It has also introduced a reward system for employees who spot colleagues with emotional problems, and a hotline for workers.
    I suppose that one way to deal with the problem: sack them before they can commit suicide :mad:


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    #3
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,585 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Anyone seen the most recent (could have been a repeat I watched) of Blood, Sweat and Luxuries (BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s6103 you cant view at that link) were they visit a similiar factory to this. The jobs are monotonous and extremely pressurised. We really should be more aware of what goes into making our must have technology.
    I've watched a few of the series, its pretty good.


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    #4
    Oracle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,630 ✭✭✭Oracle


    the_syco wrote: »
    I suppose that one way to deal with the problem: sack them before they can commit suicide :mad:

    Exactly what I was thinking. A hotline is going to cause fear and suspicion amongst employees, creating increased stress, especially in this age group. Also hiring counsellors and monks is akin to applying a plaster to the arm of someone whos bleeding to death from a wound to the head. It's obvious the problem lies in the factories work practices and culture, until they're changed the problems will continue, prevention is better than cure.

    P.S. Another good reason to boycott the iPhone and iPad.


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    #5
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    kippy wrote: »
    The jobs are monotonous and extremely pressurised. We really should be more aware of what goes into making our must have technology.
    Would you buy the iPhone if it were double the price? I doubt it. It's cheap, because the labour to make it was cheap.


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    #6
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,585 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    the_syco wrote: »
    Would you buy the iPhone if it were double the price? I doubt it. It's cheap, because the labour to make it was cheap.

    I wouldnt buy the iphone but thats neither here nor there.
    My point - in the west we pay ridiculous money (even at the prices we pay) for items which people get paid very little to produce, the wages these people pay barely keep them and their families alive.
    Items which were luxuries a few years ago are now common place and the consumer society we "enjoy" has on its flip side a very rotten core.

    Have you watched the documentary as a matter of interest?


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    #7
    jhegarty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭jhegarty


    Foxconn employs 486,000 people.

    This would make it's employees below the average suicide rate in China.


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    #8
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,966 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    And there's plenty of evidence that self-inflicted deaths can happen in clusters: once one person does it, the chance of another person in the same social group doing it increases.

    I don't think it's possible for a Western person to say what's causing the problem from the comfort of their computer keyboard: sure it may be work practices, or it may be any number of other factors affecting the people who work for them.

    However I do agree that the West should be more aware of what it's paying for goods: doubling the wage rate would not double the cost of the iPhone (or whatever).


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    #9
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    Oracle wrote: »
    P.S. Another good reason to boycott the iPhone and iPad.

    And I presume the following brands as well?
    Wikipedia wrote:
    Among other things, Foxconn produces the Mac mini, the iPod, the iPad, and the iPhone for Apple Inc.; Intel-branded motherboards for Intel Corp.; various orders for American computer manufacturers Dell and Hewlett-Packard; motherboards for UK computer manufacturer Zoostorm; the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 for Sony; the Wii for Nintendo; the Xbox 360 for Microsoft, cell phones for Motorola, the Amazon Kindle, and Cisco equipment.[2][3][4][5]


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    #10
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    kippy wrote: »
    Have you watched the documentary as a matter of interest?
    Nope. Couldn't be arsed.

    Working 7 days a week, on f**k all, with no end in sight, in a boring job, I'm surprised more of them don't top themselves. And that in itself is quite sad.


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    #11
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,585 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    the_syco wrote: »
    Nope. Couldn't be arsed.

    Working 7 days a week, on f**k all, with no end in sight, in a boring job, I'm surprised more of them don't top themselves. And that in itself is quite sad.

    Its actually a bit of an eye opener on many aspects of consumerism.


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    #12
    cronos
    Registered Users Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭cronos


    the_syco wrote: »
    Would you buy the iPhone if it were double the price? I doubt it. It's cheap, because the labour to make it was cheap.

    iPhone's are cheap?


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    #13
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    cronos wrote: »
    iPhone's are cheap?
    They were made by someone on $6 a week. Imagine the cost if they were made by someone on $12 an hour.


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    #14
    Oracle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,630 ✭✭✭Oracle


    It's hard to believe, BBC News reports, yet another worker has killed themselves at Foxconn. That brings the total to 10 suicides, and 2 attempted suicides.


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    #15
    3DataModem
    Registered Users Posts: 3,997 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    Oracle wrote: »
    It's hard to believe, BBC News reports, yet another worker has killed themselves at Foxconn. That brings the total to 10 suicides, and 2 attempted suicides.

    Out of 400,000 staff... rate of 2.5 per 100,000

    Suicide rate in Ireland is 26 per 100,000

    So living in Ireland is ten times worse.... ?


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    #16
    Oracle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,630 ✭✭✭Oracle


    3DataModem wrote: »
    Out of 400,000 staff... rate of 2.5 per 100,000

    Suicide rate in Ireland is 26 per 100,000

    So living in Ireland is ten times worse.... ?

    Not quite, in fact the Chinese suicide rate, is one of the highest in the world, at almost 28 deaths per 100,000 per year. According to the WHO (World Health Organisation), Ireland's rate is almost 23 per 100,000.

    Using your logic, those who feel suicidal, should take a job at Foxconn. Then they'd be 11 times less likely to commit suicide.


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