- Thousands crowd the recruitment lines to earn less than $2 an hour;
- 99% are migrant workers and almost a third live in bare 8-people dorm rooms;
- Pay was doubled and nets hung to put an end to worker suicides;
- 5 days and 325 pairs of hands assemble each iPad - hardly a robot in sight;
- The 73,000 workers share an average age of 23-years-old yet work long hours in silence;
- 10,000 iPads are produced every hour with one operator handling 3000 per shift.
Is this what you expected? Is it in keeping with Apple's ideology of innovation and easy-living? Is it right?
(Data taken from the news report and from the Fair Labour Association audit of the plant.)
Apple is known for being the pioneer in the creation of electronic touch devices and computers with different operational system to Windows. This brand is normally associated with elegance or even luxury due to its high quality products.
ReplyDeleteHowever, this video shows the exploitation of basically migrant workers who spend many hours in the factory to earn less than two dollars an hour. This demonstrates how the company takes advantage on desperate employees who don’t have enough money to live and who will accept any work offer in order to survive.
Furthermore, before watching this video I thought that every iproduct was produced carefully and delicately, this would justify the difference of price compared to other products. This video demonstrates the few labour costs that the company has and as a result, the high profit it obtains.
On the other hand, we should also bare in mind the terrible working conditions that China has so maybe for Chinese people working in Apple is a dream as the conditions are much better in comparison to the other factories. Despite this, for our occidental society the conditions still seem unacceptable.
In conclusion, I didn’t expect this as I imagined that a big company as Apple would respect human’s conditions but now I can see that Apple only gives an innovating image to sell more whereas in fact the factory in China is based on primitive working conditions.
Júlia Serra.
I totally agree with Julia’s comment as I would never have expected this from a company such as Apple.
ReplyDeleteI would like to add and highlight how our minds are constantly being tricked and manipulated by adverts and the marketing mix of high-quality products. We think that as a result of the spotless image these companies have, workers should be well-treated and we don’t even imagine such a great quantity of them being exploited. I would like to say that this situation is not only given in Apple but in many others and that mysteriously enough, these facts are hidden and protected by a luxurious image we have from the companies.
If we start analysing Apple’s brand image we will detect that they always add to their presentations and products a sense of sofistication. Moreover, the fact that Apple is a pioneer and innovating company makes us always think about it as being a “fair-trade” organisation or even eco-friendly only because of the image which is created in our subconscious.
I think Julia has made a very intelligent observation when looking at the costs and the profits Apple has. We inmediately suspect that there is a massive exploitation taking place when we get to know about the worker’s wages and conditions. However, it’s not until we compare the costs and the selling prices that we become terrified and speechless.
To sum up, I would like to express my disappointment with the mentioned company. Not only for the treatment workers undergo but for creating and manipulating the product in a way which will mislead society’s view of it. It would be interesting to analyse the effect of this video on Apple’s reputation if it were broadcasted internationally.
-Marina Gual