Nintendo Comments on Foxconn's Underage Workers

Earlier this week, Foxconn admitted to hiring underage workers as part of an internship program it was running at one of its factories. The company's admission (made to CNet) came hot on the heels of a report from China Labor Watch, a New York-based non-profit, alleging that the company had failed to check the IDs of incoming students applying for its internship program.

Now, one of Foxconn's partners, has released a statement about the incident. Video game giant Nintendo today said that it is investigating the matter with Foxconn. Nintendo said that it requires all production partners to comply with guidelines it set out in its Nintendo CSR Procurement Guidelines in 2008.

"Nintendo is in communication with Foxconn and is investigating the matter. We take our responsibilities as a global company very seriously and are committed to an ethical policy on sourcing, manufacture and labor. In order to ensure the continued fulfillment of our social responsibility throughout our supply chain, we established the Nintendo CSR Procurement Guidelines in July 2008," the company said, according to IGN.

"We require that all production partners, including Foxconn, comply with these Guidelines, which are based on relevant laws, international standards and guidelines. If we were to find that any of our production partners did not meet our guidelines, we would require them to modify their practices according to Nintendo’s policy. For more information about Nintendo’s Corporate Social Responsibility report, please visit http://www.nintendo.co.jp/csr/en/index.html."

Foxconn earlier this week said that it was investigating how the underage workers were admitted to the internship program when they were not legally old enough to work. Chinese labor laws put the minimum age for working at 16-years-old. According to China Labor Watch, a small number of student interns aged between 14-years-old and 16-years-old were sent to Foxconn by schools. Foxconn did not check the students' IDs to confirm their ages. Foxconn said that immediate steps have been taken to return the interns in question to their educational institutions.

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  • assasin32
    Nintendo, one of the few companies I actually have respect for. I fully expect them to do an actual investigation rather than try to brush this under the rug, so I hope issues are resolved in on form or another.
    Reply
  • dameon51
    Are 14 year old year old workers on an internship that big of a deal? Here in Saskatchewan Canada 14 year old workers are allowed (although most don't because their parents buy them everything anyways).

    So foxconn didn't check some id's. Big deal. They generally run a pretty tight ship.
    Reply
  • kanoobie
    assasin32Nintendo, one of the few companies I actually have respect for. I fully expect them to do an actual investigation rather than try to brush this under the rug, so I hope issues are resolved in on form or another.I agree, I can put my cynicism aside and actually believe Nintendo will respond appropriately to this development even if Foxconn tries to brush this under the rug.
    Reply
  • bllue
    dameon51Are 14 year old year old workers on an internship that big of a deal? Here in Saskatchewan Canada 14 year old workers are allowed (although most don't because their parents buy them everything anyways).So foxconn didn't check some id's. Big deal. They generally run a pretty tight ship.Except underage interns in Canada or in the US aren't put to work 80 hours a week
    Reply
  • spookyman
    Whats wrong with a little child slavery?

    How else are they going to be able to sell the Wii U at a profit?
    Reply
  • dalethepcman
    steps Foxcon takes to alleviate concerns about underage workers ... "we have begun installing smaller nets, the children were able to slip through the old ones"

    Reply
  • tului
    I'm sure it is hard to get fake IDs in a place as corrupt as China...
    Reply
  • funguseater
    Ummm, I started working in warehousing at the age of 14, loading/unloading trailers for Coca-Cola at our city's depot. After school and on weekends work sucked, but I was the one flush with cash on my days off.

    And not only is noone FORCING these people to work for Foxconn (one of the better paying employers now), recently the chinese government lowered the allowed overtime to 60hrs a week and workers COMPLAINED because now they have lost a significant portion of their pay.

    EORant
    Reply
  • baconeater
    thank heaven's someone other than apple is taking the rap for this.

    20 of tech's biggest companies use foxconn, but only apple ever gets any press for foxconn's unethical practices.
    Reply
  • timw03878
    funguseaterUmmm, I started working in warehousing at the age of 14, loading/unloading trailers for Coca-Cola at our city's depot. After school and on weekends work sucked, but I was the one flush with cash on my days off.And not only is noone FORCING these people to work for Foxconn (one of the better paying employers now), recently the chinese government lowered the allowed overtime to 60hrs a week and workers COMPLAINED because now they have lost a significant portion of their pay.EORant
    at least someone here is thinking rationally and not emotionally.

    I applaud you sir for being a lone voice in a wilderness of stupidity.
    Reply