Foxconn Worker says, ''Life is Meaningless''
Two Foxconn employees speak to Bloomberg about what it's like to work at the factory long term.
By now we've heard a lot from undercover investigators appalled by the working conditions at Foxconn. However, some people argue that the staff are either used to these kinds of conditions, glad of the job or relieved they aren't in another factory where things are much, much worse.
Bloomberg recently spoke to one Foxconn employee who says the reason for the suicides at the factory is because life there is so meaningless.
"Life is meaningless, " said Ah Wei having just come off a 12 hour shift. "Everyday, I repeat the same thing I did yesterday. We get yelled at all the time. It’s very tough around here."
Ah Wei explains how conversation is forbidden on the production line and bathroom breaks are restricted to a scheduled ten minutes every two hours. The noise from the factory has damaged his hearing and management has rejected his three requests for transfer.
Another employee says about 80 percent of the front-line production staff have to work standing up for 12 hours a day, six days a week.
"It’s hard to make friends because you aren’t allowed to chat with your colleagues during work," he said from Shenzhen Kang Ning Hospital where he was seeking treatment for insomnia. "Most of us have little education and have no skills so we have no choice but to do this kind of job. I feel no sense of achievement and I’ve become a machine."
Foxconn says it is doing everything it can to prevent the suicides, of which there have been at least ten in the last few months. Erecting nets around the buildings to prevent people from jumping, the company has also hired councilors for employees to talk to. Foxconn is also paying for the medical care for at least one employee, a girl who jumped from her fourth story dormitory in March. She was in a coma for two months and even now, her father is afraid to ask why she jumped.
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Bloomberg reports that less than a day after Chairman Terry Gou opened the factory to the press and admitted he had no way of knowing if it would happen again, a 23-year-old worker jumped to his death and another was hospitalized after he slit his wrists.
Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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kyeana aleccj1I'm sorry, but this is kinda funny. I'm such a bad person...Reply
How is this even funny in the slightest??? -
aleccj1 kyeanaHow is this even funny in the slightest???Whats funny to me is that they're putting nets around the factory. Like that's going to prevent someone from killing themselves.Reply -
joex444 I'm not particularly surprised Foxconn keeps having the problem.Reply
As far as they're concerned, these employees are replacable. Even with some kind of family death payment or whatever expense a suicide represents to them, its way cheaper than running a factory in the US. -
icepick314 jakes69If I were in their situation...I would work for a few yrs save up and leave.Reply
I don't think you CAN save up with $160 a month wages....
after your housing, food, and everyday necessity, you're literally going to work yourself to death.... -
aznguy0028 I'm glad that there is so much coverage of the workers and the conditions they are working in. Hopefully that will force the company/CEO to improve such basic conditions as allowing people to talk to each other at the very least among others. So sad imo.Reply -
flachet Corporate America, maximize profits anyway you can. Have your products produced in a country where OSHA doesn't exist is just one way to do it. It is all about the dividends. Ever notice that companies that are privately held rarely ship their work overseas? Those that are public traded will almost always do it if possible.Reply -
karenskym I feel so bad because I love Foxconn products and knowing that so much sweat and blood went into my product brings tears to my eyes.Reply