Foxconn must improve living conditions for workers at shuttered iPhone plant

This is probably just ignorance on my part, or maybe it’s because I’m use to the way we do things here in The States. 

Why would Apple or Foxconn have to deal with the living conditions of the workers in their factories?  Are living arrangements part of the agreement for employment? I feel this article should have at least explained this, just so we have some more context.

the1maximus said:

This is probably just ignorance on my part, or maybe it’s because I’m use to the way we do things here in The States. 

Why would Apple or Foxconn have to deal with the living conditions of the workers in their factories?  Are living arrangements part of the agreement for employment? I feel this article should have at least explained this, just so we have some more context.

Effectively, those workers are Apple employees.  Foxconn is essentially just a contractor or middleman.  So, Apple holds some degree of responsibility for those employees.

The U.S. practiced worker abuse until Roosevelt strengthened regulations to protect American workers.  Since then, stopping abuse of workers has become a cornerstone of our democracy.   If we are to hold to our principles, worker protections against abuse by American companies do not stop when that American company operates in other countries. 

the1maximus said:

This is probably just ignorance on my part, or maybe it’s because I’m use to the way we do things here in The States. 

Why would Apple or Foxconn have to deal with the living conditions of the workers in their factories?  Are living arrangements part of the agreement for employment? I feel this article should have at least explained this, just so we have some more context.

Like in China, these manufacturers typically build barracks/dormitories around the plant for workers to live in while employed. The same thing used to happen in the U.S. in coal mines and steel plants. The company built the town, then charged for food in the company store and rent for the company owned homes. Sometimes the workers ended up owing money to the company for working there. And yes, that happened in the U.S. until unions and labor laws came.

Since this factory’s exclusive client is Apple that’s why Apple gets dragged into these controversies. With Apple’s name attached the media sharks smell more blood in the water. You don’t hear about the major clothing design companies and department store brands getting this kind of treatment over working conditions in their sweatshops in the  East, do you?

GeorgeBMac said:

So why would any company who cares about human rights operate in India?

....  Oh yeh, sales and profit.

In other news, India's Modi has frozen the financial accounts of Mother Teresa's Sisters of Charity because India's far right Hindu's don't like that they provide food, shelter, hospice care and education to India's countless destitute and homeless adults and children.  They claim the Sisters are converting them to Christianity -- even though Mother Teresa had always been 100% clear that they are religious agnostics:  they don't care what religion you are (if any) if you are an abandoned child, homeless & destitute or dying alone and that they only teach Christianity to those who are interested and request the teaching.

The result is that Modi and his far right Hindu's are blocking the Sisters from providing much needed food, shelter, hospice care and education to India's destitute and abandoned children.

So George, what’s it like obsessing over all the injustice in the Western capitalism world knowing full well you can do absolutely nothing about it. Does ranting and raving about Western capitalism make you feel better. Do you sit down for a cup of hot cocoa after your rants, thinking you changed any minds? Just asking.

And by the way, Foxconn workers are NOT Apple employees no matter what your convoluted thinking tells you.