article says Apple's Chinese workers treated 'inhumanely, like machines'

Hmmm, this could be a budding PR disaster for Apple. It's more detailed than anything else previously published.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/30/apple-chinese-workers-treated-inhumanely

A few tidbits....

worker forced to work 96 hours overtime

work 13 days straight

worker dorms have up to 24 people per room

worker punished for using a hairdryer

anti-suicide netting fitted to all worker dorms

for decades. More like a PR disaster for Apple. They used to manufacture in Taiwan.

If Steve Jobs had a conscience, he'd do something about this. He doesn't have the political will to do so.

May the Chinese workers UNITE and STRIKE!

we'll keep buying their products.

Human rights abuses in the middle kingdom have been known for a long time.

I suppose we could hit countries with an "abuse" tariff to charge them for their treatment of workers.

But we'd have to pay more for crappy goods, so that won't happen.

:sarcasm:

Which gives them no overtime pay too.

My friend worked two jobs which took up his work week and his weekends for 15 years.

You'll be immigrating to china for a better life when . . .?

I had another friend in college who worked three jobs and tried to get his degree. He landed up getting an associates instead. I swear he operated on 4 hours of sleep a night. Coincidentally he was a Chinese American. My other friend who worked his weekends away was also half Chinese. Hmm it seems to be a pattern. I didn't realize it before.

The Chinese want to create a better life for themselves and it pushes them into superhuman territory. I watch them in awe of their work ethic.

if you still want to make the comparison.

from what I saw scraping by in the US is far preferable to scraping by in China.

those pictures were taken at a "factory" that does business with my company. :-(

Anyway, American factories look nothing like the Chinese factories. 20 bunkbeds jammed into one room...they do their laundry on the balcony in a tub, where all of their personal hygiene items are kept as well....they live on a compound, where even the grocery store is located.

I saw the suicide nets in the photos as well. I will look to see if I can find the link.

on edit: I worked at a major communications company for 10 years. We were PAID handsomely for our OT. Anything over 8 hours in a day was paid at time and a half. After 48 hours, double time pay kicked in. We usesd to rake in the cash man. Methinks that the Chinese worker bees aren't getting paid fairly.

doesn't that apply to, like, every gizmo manufacturer?

That's why corporations move their factories there.