Foxconn sues journalists over sweatshop story - bit-tech.net Forums

Da Dego · 30th Aug 2006, 15:44

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/08...eatshop_story/

DougEdey · 30th Aug 2006, 15:45

I would love if they tried to sue apple over their investigation.

I can just picture it now:

Foxconn Lawyer: We're gonna sue you for all your worth
Apple Lawyer: Really? Tell you what, we'll just take our business from you
F: OH ****

mattthegamer463 · 30th Aug 2006, 16:03

Sweatshop labour? Motherboard manufacturing is almost fully automated, no? Do they have underpaid employees moving boxes of parts around or something?

DougEdey · 30th Aug 2006, 16:05

ALMOST fully. They keep their workers at bare minimum wage, poor living conditions (I think its something like 8 people in a room that you would put one person in the UK), they have to solder certain parts on by hand, check connections, maintain machinary, box/bag.

And remember there are dangerous chemicals involved in the process.

Sh00ter · 30th Aug 2006, 17:35

suing for something they have admitted to doing?

another company i wont ever buy products from then

FeRaL · 30th Aug 2006, 19:21

Gotta love Comunists trying to act like Kapitolists.

specofdust · 30th Aug 2006, 19:46

Quote:

Gotta love Comunists trying to act like Kapitolists

Actually Foxconn are based in Taiwan. But I don't suppose you know that Taiwan isn't communist anyway.

Regardless, this sounds like they're taking legal tips from any major western corp. Be in the wrong, but never allow yourself to be portrayed in the wrong. That could practically be rule number one of most multinational corporations handbooks for employees

Seriously though, does anyone care that they're running "sweatshops"? So they get 60 hour weeks 7 days a week instead of 60 hour weeks 6 days a week. People in China and Taiwan are not going to get the standard of working in factories that we get over here. That's why they can manage to make half the worlds products.

So long as it's cheap, I'm happy.

perplekks45 · 30th Aug 2006, 20:44

Just like P. Diddy.

But yea I'd sued them too! How the hell could this Chinese guys DARE to show a WESTERN COMPANY what they did wrong in ASIA? That their continent or what?!
Idioty @ Foxconn...

FeRaL · 30th Aug 2006, 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by specofdust

Actually Foxconn are based in Taiwan. But I don't suppose you know that Taiwan isn't communist anyway.

Regardless, this sounds like they're taking legal tips from any major western corp. Be in the wrong, but never allow yourself to be portrayed in the wrong. That could practically be rule number one of most multinational corporations handbooks for employees

Seriously though, does anyone care that they're running "sweatshops"? So they get 60 hour weeks 7 days a week instead of 60 hour weeks 6 days a week. People in China and Taiwan are not going to get the standard of working in factories that we get over here. That's why they can manage to make half the worlds products.

So long as it's cheap, I'm happy.

I know Taiwan isn't Comunist... I jsut assumed that they were in China as the article made references to China in it. No need to be an ass about it. I guess I shouldn't assume.

Neogumbercules · 30th Aug 2006, 22:18

Yeah specofdust remember that they work in those hideous conditions and make something like the equivolent of 40 US dollars a week. Someone working 60 hours a week in a normal enviornment would make 500-700 dollars in the US.

So "as long as it's cheap" isn't really good enough. Just think about the tens of thousands of workers in China that slave on like that endlessly just to make a weekly income barely equal to the amount that most US citizens make in a single day. That's why most major manufactuers go to China in the first place. They get cheap labor and turn around massive profits every year. And it's not like they can protest or go on strike. The government will just roll tanks through the streets again and scare their people into conformity. That's one of the major reasons why yuo can go to any big factories and assembly lines in the US and see that they are populated largely by Asian workers. It's the same work they did in China except now they make 10 times more money, work 20 less hours a week, have health benefits, decent working conditions, and they can go home every night. Unless you were being sarcastic, and I completely missed it.

But yes, I admit, there are plenty of sweatshop made products in my home, I'm sure.

specofdust · 30th Aug 2006, 22:33

Quote:

So "as long as it's cheap" isn't really good enough.

Isn't good enough for what? It's good enough for me. Frankly I'd be rather concerned were I making only the US minimum wage, just as I'd be slightly concerned if I were earning the chinese minimum wage(assuming they have one, which I doubt). There are lots of people around the world in crappy jobs, but I buy expensive computer parts, so I'd be a hypocrit to complain. Might as well endorse it openly.

yahooadam · 30th Aug 2006, 23:38

I don't understand how they can sue them, if its true, then the newspaper haven't lied about it, and thus the damage on their reputation wasn't from false information ....

scq · 31st Aug 2006, 04:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougEdey

I would love if they tried to sue apple over their investigation.

I can just picture it now:

Foxconn Lawyer: We're gonna sue you for all your worth
Apple Lawyer: Really? Tell you what, we'll just take our business from you
F: OH ****

I'm guessing Foxconn is bigger than that - though iPods probably do make up a substantial piece of their pie chart. It's ironic how these lawsuits will probably make them look worse than the reporters.

Of course, we're talking about freedom of press in China - so this should play out very very interestingly.

Cthippo · 31st Aug 2006, 11:26

Keep in mind that one person's sweatshop is another person's living wage job. You remember a few years back when Nike was accused of running sweatshops in Malaysia? Lots of people boycotted them and they were forced to close those factories. End result was a lot of hard working Malaysians who counted on those jobs to feed their famalies lost their jobs. Are they better off for it? Ask them.

The situation is a lot more complicated than "Foxconn is bad, don't buy from them". The real answer is for consumers to be willing to pay MORE to buy products from companies that spend more to produce their products. What are the odds of that happening? You figure it out.

DXR_13KE · 31st Aug 2006, 16:11

instead of it costing 100$ it would end costing 500$, happy now?

i dont like the idea of making people slaves, but as Cthippo says, there are people that dont have a choice, the choice to work were they want and for much they want.

Bladestorm · 31st Aug 2006, 16:18

That work will go where it is cheap and countries that desperately need any money they can get will generally be where it is, isn't something I like but I can quite easily see its going to happen and as said, trying to get companies to pull jobs from such places won't help, but I still think its pretty dispicable to go to a country where you can pay workers very little and then break that countries labour laws to pay them even less/make them work even harder.

Sh00ter · 31st Aug 2006, 18:01

Quote:

The situation is a lot more complicated than "Foxconn is bad, don't buy from them"

nowt to do about sweat shops, they exist, it may be wrong by our standards but not necessarily in the countries they are in.

the arrogance to sue over a true story is the sole reason i wouldnt want to buy from them

perplekks45 · 31st Aug 2006, 18:07

If you don't want to buy stuff from companies having sweatshops in Asia or Africa or South America you'll end up sitting naked in a nearly empty house...

speedfreek · 31st Aug 2006, 23:25

They dont even really need the emloyees/sweatshop workers to make the boards anyway. You can automate so much of it that all they would need to do is keep the machines stocked with components. But for now its just enough more convient to keep them working there rather than buying, programming, setting up, and maintaining the machines to do it. To me all of the work done over there is sweatshop labor, from what I have heard they work long hours and get paid crap to do so in poor conditions.

DougEdey · 1st Sep 2006, 12:07

I'm trying to find another source on this (just read from the reg) but it appears as though Foxconn have reduced the amount they are suing.

Now just 1 Yuan, total of £0.066!

EDIT: Found another source http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004713543

Looks like they're backing down big time after Steve Jobs was bought in.

30th Aug 2006, 15:44	#1
Da Dego Brett Thomas Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Cleveland, OH USA Posts: 3,906	Foxconn sues journalists over sweatshop story http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/08...eatshop_story/ __________________ "Frankly that seems overkill. iluvtrees2 arguing with spec is the intellectual equivalent of a bunny rabbit taking on a pissed-off lion." - Nexxo

30th Aug 2006, 15:45	#2
DougEdey I pwn all your storage Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Southampton Posts: 13,933	I would love if they tried to sue apple over their investigation. I can just picture it now: Foxconn Lawyer: We're gonna sue you for all your worth Apple Lawyer: Really? Tell you what, we'll just take our business from you F: OH **** __________________ Burnout: Paradise Stats!XBL: DougEdey Bindi PSN ID: DougEdey Twitter

30th Aug 2006, 16:03	#3
mattthegamer463 Mod Master Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 2,805	Sweatshop labour? Motherboard manufacturing is almost fully automated, no? Do they have underpaid employees moving boxes of parts around or something? __________________ Latest Work: Boombox Build Project PCB- Complete Digital Picture Frame 2.0- Complete RumbleMouse - Complete Latest Project: TestPC- Complete Lian-Li PC7: C2D E6600, XFX 8800GTS 640MB, Corsair 2GB PC6400, 320GB Seagate Barracuda, EVGA 680i SLi, OCZ 850W

30th Aug 2006, 16:05	#4
DougEdey I pwn all your storage Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Southampton Posts: 13,933	ALMOST fully. They keep their workers at bare minimum wage, poor living conditions (I think its something like 8 people in a room that you would put one person in the UK), they have to solder certain parts on by hand, check connections, maintain machinary, box/bag. And remember there are dangerous chemicals involved in the process. __________________ Burnout: Paradise Stats!XBL: DougEdey Bindi PSN ID: DougEdey Twitter

30th Aug 2006, 19:21	#6
FeRaL Multimodder Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Truabuco Canyon California Posts: 170	Gotta love Comunists trying to act like Kapitolists. __________________ I thoroughly disapprove of duels. I consider them unwise and I know they are dangerous. Also, sinful. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet retired spot and kill him. - Autobiography of Mark Twain

30th Aug 2006, 17:35	#5
Sh00ter Multimodder Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chatham Posts: 179	suing for something they have admitted to doing? another company i wont ever buy products from then

30th Aug 2006, 20:44	#8
perplekks45 BSc... finally Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 3,346	Just like P. Diddy. But yea I'd sued them too! How the hell could this Chinese guys DARE to show a WESTERN COMPANY what they did wrong in ASIA? That their continent or what?! Idioty @ Foxconn... __________________ "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far." Blame it on Cheaps! [now a social group]

30th Aug 2006, 22:18	#10
Neogumbercules Ultramodder Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,494	Yeah specofdust remember that they work in those hideous conditions and make something like the equivolent of 40 US dollars a week. Someone working 60 hours a week in a normal enviornment would make 500-700 dollars in the US. So "as long as it's cheap" isn't really good enough. Just think about the tens of thousands of workers in China that slave on like that endlessly just to make a weekly income barely equal to the amount that most US citizens make in a single day. That's why most major manufactuers go to China in the first place. They get cheap labor and turn around massive profits every year. And it's not like they can protest or go on strike. The government will just roll tanks through the streets again and scare their people into conformity. That's one of the major reasons why yuo can go to any big factories and assembly lines in the US and see that they are populated largely by Asian workers. It's the same work they did in China except now they make 10 times more money, work 20 less hours a week, have health benefits, decent working conditions, and they can go home every night. Unless you were being sarcastic, and I completely missed it. But yes, I admit, there are plenty of sweatshop made products in my home, I'm sure. __________________ Abit AB9 Pro, Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 CPU, 2GB Corsair DDR2 6400, nVidia 8800GT, Seagate 160 GB HDD.

30th Aug 2006, 23:38	#12
yahooadam Ultra csavarkulcs Banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: UK Posts: 1,323	I don't understand how they can sue them, if its true, then the newspaper haven't lied about it, and thus the damage on their reputation wasn't from false information ....

31st Aug 2006, 11:26	#14
Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 4,459	Keep in mind that one person's sweatshop is another person's living wage job. You remember a few years back when Nike was accused of running sweatshops in Malaysia? Lots of people boycotted them and they were forced to close those factories. End result was a lot of hard working Malaysians who counted on those jobs to feed their famalies lost their jobs. Are they better off for it? Ask them. The situation is a lot more complicated than "Foxconn is bad, don't buy from them". The real answer is for consumers to be willing to pay MORE to buy products from companies that spend more to produce their products. What are the odds of that happening? You figure it out. __________________ Notice: If we see you flaming we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate measures - The Bit-Tech Fire Brigade.

31st Aug 2006, 16:11	#15
DXR_13KE Madeira's banana is the best!!! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Madeira ; Portugal Posts: 6,466	instead of it costing 100$ it would end costing 500$, happy now? i dont like the idea of making people slaves, but as Cthippo says, there are people that dont have a choice, the choice to work were they want and for much they want. __________________ *Renegade X - 0.40 Release!* <---- CLICK!

31st Aug 2006, 16:18	#16
Bladestorm Hypermodder Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 682	That work will go where it is cheap and countries that desperately need any money they can get will generally be where it is, isn't something I like but I can quite easily see its going to happen and as said, trying to get companies to pull jobs from such places won't help, but I still think its pretty dispicable to go to a country where you can pay workers very little and then break that countries labour laws to pay them even less/make them work even harder. __________________ Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 250x10 (1.475v) \| EVGA GTX 260 55nm SSC \| A8N-SLI Premium \| 2x(4GB) Corsair Twinx2048-PC3200C2 \| Asus Xonar DX \| Antec truepower 550w \| Akasa Eclipse-62 DDC12VPlus1, DD TDX, 3/8 tygon r3603 tubing, PA120.2, DD double floppy bay res

31st Aug 2006, 18:07	#18
perplekks45 BSc... finally Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 3,346	If you don't want to buy stuff from companies having sweatshops in Asia or Africa or South America you'll end up sitting naked in a nearly empty house... __________________ "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far." Blame it on Cheaps! [now a social group]

31st Aug 2006, 23:25	#19
speedfreek Ultramodder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: SE Wisconsin (us) Posts: 1,439	They dont even really need the emloyees/sweatshop workers to make the boards anyway. You can automate so much of it that all they would need to do is keep the machines stocked with components. But for now its just enough more convient to keep them working there rather than buying, programming, setting up, and maintaining the machines to do it. To me all of the work done over there is sweatshop labor, from what I have heard they work long hours and get paid crap to do so in poor conditions. __________________ New Rig, Quad Core and 8800 baby! Now with 6gb of RAM and a nice even 2tb now my server\|Athlon 64 3700(2.64ghz)\|7800gs\|2gb XMS 2-3-3-6\|2tb+ total HD space... In raid\|I have a problem. New Laptop: HP EliteBook, its fast!

1st Sep 2006, 12:07	#20
DougEdey I pwn all your storage Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Southampton Posts: 13,933	I'm trying to find another source on this (just read from the reg) but it appears as though Foxconn have reduced the amount they are suing. Now just 1 Yuan, total of £0.066! EDIT: Found another source http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004713543 Looks like they're backing down big time after Steve Jobs was bought in. __________________ Burnout: Paradise Stats!XBL: DougEdey Bindi PSN ID: DougEdey Twitter