12 October, 2010New report illustrates continued violation of workers' rights and appalling conditions at Foxconn plants in China.
GLOBAL: Hong Kong labour rights organization Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) released an investigative report on October 12, entitled 'Workers as Machines; Military Management in Foxconn'.
Between January and August 2010, 17 Foxconn workers attempted to commit suicide - resulting in the death of 13 young people. The new report makes clear that thus far Foxconn and its high-profile customers including Apple, HP, and Dell have failed to effectively and transparently address underlying labour issues at the Foxconn production facilities.
GoodElectronics, SACOM, Bread for All, makeITfair and the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) urge the electronics industry to show leadership by taking responsibility for decent labour standards for the workers in the global electronics supply chain. Reforming buying practices would be a first urgent step.
The overall conclusion of the SACOM report is that Foxconn's labour practices are illegal and unethical. The purchasing practices of brand companies sourcing from Foxconn put direct pressure on workers. SACOM bases its conclusions on desk research and on interviews with 100 Foxconn workers at the Longhua and Guanlan plants in Shenzhen as well as the Foxconn plant in Hangzhou, undertaken between May 22 and September 21, 2010.
In a joint press release, GoodElectronics, SACOM, Bread for All, makeITfair and the IMF summarize the key finding of the report on substandard wages, excessive working hours, shocking corporate management systems, forced relocation of plants, the status of trade unions, inappropriate use of student labour and inadequate health and safety protection.
A copy of the full report, 'Workers as Machines: Military Management in Foxconn', published by SACOM, can be found here.