Focus on Foxconn & the lives of China's workers

Question 1

what name is related to the foxconn reading?

Answer 1

jenny chan

Question 2

why was foxconn relevant?

Answer 2

a major apple supplier with operations in mainland china

Question 3

describe the Foxconn worker unrest & the reasons that caused them

Answer 3

1. reasons that caused them:
   –issues like speedups, compulsory overtime, safety hazards, strained supervisor worker relations
2. worker unrest to resist oppressive working conditions
   –labour strikes, protests, riots
   – workers also leveraged their power during critical moments in the manufacturing process, organizing coordinated actions (like purposely making defective products)

Question 4

what was the issue with Foxconn job transfers & suicide threats?

Answer 4

due to corporate expansion, involuntary job transfer with pay cuts, disruption of family & workers received an ultimatum: transfer or quit otherwise they would unknowingly get transferred to a new BU with worse conditions (like night shifts)

Shenzhen to Wuhan

Question 5

suicide threat?

Answer 5

to force managers to accept worker negotiation, the workers threatened a mass suicide by jumping off the roof of the factory if they didn’t address conflicts including job transfers and pay cuts

workers posted this threat online & soon gov officials became involved. they offered a higher severance pay but it didnt solve the initial problem of needing fair wages

Question 6

Foxconn’s reponse & Apple’s role

Answer 6

Foxconn responded to many of the workers attempts buy firing or blacklisting employees to discourage collective action

apple’s demand for high production targets and rigorous quality standards contributed to intense pressure on foxconn workers

Question 7

labour migration in china

Answer 7

china has experienced the largest internal labour migration in the world - rural migrants seek work in booming industries

despite gov efforts to rebalance, wide income and wealth disparities persist between urban and rural areas

Question 8

internships at foxconn

Answer 8

faced criticism that the internships are exploiting students as cheap labour

Question 9

labour rights struggle

Answer 9

chinese trade unions face state control

government focus on economic development overshadowing the enforcement of labour laws & regulations

legal rights are treated as commodities subject to bargaining rather than fair arbitration