Suicides Spur Nintendo, Sony, and Others to Investigate Foxconn

vansau

Mortician of Love
May 25, 2010
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Suicides Spur Nintendo, Sony, and Others to Investigate Foxconn

Following a wake of suicides at one of its plants, Foxconn is now subject to a series of probes by various electronics manufacturers.



It seems that Foxconn Technology Group just isn't a good place to work, no matter what your position. After <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn#Employee_suicides_and_deaths>several recent suicides at one of the company's facilities, the Foxconn has found itself the subject of several investigative probes by some of its biggest clients.

On Friday, Nintendo, Sony, and Nokia announced -via separate statements- that they would all be investigating Foxconn due to the reports of high numbers of suicides in recent months. Currently, Foxconn is used by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft to assemble their various consoles; other major electronics manufacturers like Dell, Nokia, and Apple use the company for other devices. Apple, earlier last week, also announced an investigation of the company.

Critics have leveled accusations against Foxconn that include harsh working conditions, physical abuse of employees, and long hours with low pay as being some of the factors in the suicides.

According to the company's corporate parent, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Foxconn has tried just about everything to reduce worker stress, including an "anger room" (where employees beat up dummies to release anger), counseling services, playing calming buddhist music at the assembly lines, and even requiring workers to sign letters saying they won't kill themselves.

<a href=http://www.dailytech.com/Chinese+Govt+Demands+Foxconn+Stop+Suicides+Says+Unions+are+the+Answer/article18557.htm>The Chinese government has even gotten involved, demanding that Foxconn fix the situation as soon as possible, going so far as to say improved labor unions would go a long way to make things better. One would think that not making workers into unpaid overtime on the assembly line, awarding promised raises, and <a href=http://www.dailytech.com/Another+Foxconn+Worker+Commits+Suicide+Video+of+Employee+Beating+Leaks/article18471.htm>not letting its security force beat up the workers might also be steps the company would want to consider.

Source: <a href=http://gamepolitics.com/2010/05/28/nintendo-nokia-and-sony-promise-foxconn-investigations>GamePolitics

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Danpascooch

Zombie Specialist
Apr 16, 2009
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Isn't this the SAME company where the Iphone prototype got lost and the guy killed himself over it? Jesus, this company needs to be investigated.

EDIT: Read the wikipedia page, they tried to drag a reporter into the factory, when the police arrived, they told the reporter he could file a report, but they said that Foxconn has "Special Status Locally"

Over ten deaths in like 5 months, some of the accounts are ridiculous like "Drowned in the company building's pool, but was an able swimmer"

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON THERE?
 

RikSharp

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Feb 11, 2009
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danpascooch said:
Isn't this the SAME company where the Iphone prototype got lost and the guy killed himself over it? Jesus, this company needs to be investigated.
why yes it is. and that is a list of large companys wanting investigations too.

like the idea of the anger room tho. could use one of them in my work.
 

Marik2

Phone Poster
Nov 10, 2009
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They just need a Fight Club. Joking aside the company really needs to clean itself up.
 

RvLeshrac

This is a Forum Title.
Oct 2, 2008
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danpascooch said:
Isn't this the SAME company where the Iphone prototype got lost and the guy killed himself over it? Jesus, this company needs to be investigated.
They've already been investigated. Repeatedly. By all of the companies. Multiple times by Apple.

They make some superficial changes, and everything continues on, business-as-usual, as the involved companies pat themselves on the back.

Until it happens again in a few years. Wash, rinse, repeat.
 

benbenthegamerman

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May 10, 2009
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Jeez... yknow, sometimes i kinda take life in the states for granted, but now i feel better that im in a country where this isnt a major problem. somethings gotta be done about this.
 

reg42

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Mar 18, 2009
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Oh snap. Foxconn made my motherboard!
I kinda feel bad for having supported them.
 

Blimey

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Nov 10, 2009
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vansau said:
Critics have leveled accusations against Foxconn that include harsh working conditions, physical abuse of employees, and long hours with low pay as being some of the factors in the suicides.
Isn't that pretty much every Chinese manufacturing plant ever?
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Well, they certainly got a bad history, all starting with the apple incident a year or so ago.

Suffice to say, if you think where you work is bad...then, look at this place...
 

sunami88

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Jun 23, 2008
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I call your attention here [http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/05/21/205203/Ninth-Suicide-At-iPhone-Factory].

Specifically, this comment [http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1660824&cid=32299222];
Here's a source [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2009/snapshots/11204.html] [cnn.com]. Foxconn has 486,000 employees according to fairly reliable sources.

According to this [http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118677584137994489.html?mod=blog] [wsj.com] 2007 WSJ article, they had over 450,000 factory workers, 270,000 of which were at a single 2x1mile site.

In other words, the suicide rates for Foxconn workers is slightly below average.
Interesting...
 

Aedes

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Sep 11, 2009
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Hum... That sucks. Wtf is happening on their factories, I wonder.

Also, I feel complied to say I want an "Anger Room" too.
 

NeedAUserName

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Aug 7, 2008
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vansau said:
...and even requiring workers to sign letters saying they won't kill themselves.
Wow, just wow. I doubt anyone has ever been weighing up suicide, when suddenly they remember they signed a letter at work saying they wouldn't, so you know, don't wanna get fired or anything.
 

Arkhangelsk

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Mar 1, 2009
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Marik2 said:
They just need a Fight Club. Joking aside the company really needs to clean itself up.
Yeah, then they can start a terrorist group and bomb all big gaming companies.

OT: This is quite serious. I hope they figure out what's wrong.
 

Bigeyez

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Apr 26, 2009
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So by "investigate" all those companies mean is that they are going to send one or two guys to China, pump out some press releases saying how shocked/dismayed they are and how they want better work conditions and then continue using this company for their cheap labor until China eventually becomes too expensive and they move on to the next cheap labor country...right?